A London borough apprentice described as an ‘inspiration’ by her manager after surviving life on the streets has been recognised for her hard work.
Ayeisha Hayes, who works as a project support officer apprentice at the London borough of Camden, was among the winners at the London Borough Apprenticeship Awards 2014 at Merchant Taylors' Hall yesterday (Thursday 25 September). The 21-year-old picked up the gong for Best Progression by an Apprentice for her work helping young people get on in education and training.
In the entry for the award, Ayeisha’s manager, Nina Scuffil, wrote: “Two years ago Ayeisha was homeless, and after paying bills, was struggling on just £10 per week. Having worked hard to find stability and employment, Ayeisha has used this experience to help others take steps to achieve their goals too. She is an inspiration to both young people and her colleagues.”
Also recognised at the event were Helen Osibodu, a customer services apprentice with the London borough of Hackney, and Carl Pirie, who joined the London borough of Redbridge as an apprentice and has been made a permanent trainee technician. Helen was awarded Best Contribution by a New Apprentice and Carl received a highly commended in the Best Progression by an Apprentice category.
Cllr Peter John, London Councils’ Executive member for skills and employment, said: “The calibre of this year's entries to the London Borough Apprenticeship Awards illustrates the range and depth of talent among the capital’s young people.
“Apprenticeships are increasingly becoming recognised by employers and young people alike as an ideal way to develop skills, gain qualifications, build experience and add value to the workplace.
“More opportunities ‘to earn and learn’ were created by boroughs and their contractors in the past year than ever before. However, with youth unemployment still high in London – latest figures show that one in four 16-to-24-year-olds are unemployed - we’re not resting on our laurels.
“We’re committed to creating even more apprenticeships and training opportunities to help more of our young people succeed.”
Around 1,300 apprenticeships were created between April 2013 and March 2015, of which 60 per cent went to young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs). This brings the total number of apprenticeships to just over 5,000 since 2009.
It is the fourth year of the awards, organised by London Councils, the organisation which represents all 32 London boroughs and the City of London.