The Lincolnshire Apprenticeship Champion Awards took place in May 2022, recognising and celebrating the fantastic achievements of apprentices, training providers and employers across Greater Lincolnshire.

There were winners across eight categories with the overall Apprentice Champion of the Year award going to Molly Fitch from Louth. Molly was nominated by her education provider First College after completing a Level 2 Customer Service apprenticeship through East Lindsey District Council (ELDC).

Embarking on her apprenticeship journey, Molly initially didn’t believe she could achieve her NVQ, Maths and ICT Functional because of her dyslexia. Consequently, this impacted on her self-belief and overall mental health.

Molly’s learning needs were accommodated by both First College and ELDC, who purchased a second computer screen for greater accessibility and both screens were fitted with a blue-light overlay, which allowed for ease of reading.

Molly believes that 2022 has been a huge turning point in her life. Not only did she pass her driving test and secure a full-time position at ELDC, but she also passed her City & Guilds End Point Assessment and was awarded a Distinction.

Molly said: “Doing an apprenticeship has changed my life for the better; I’m a completely different person to when I first started three years ago. I’ve learnt so much and gained more qualifications which have opened a lot more doors to me in terms of my career.

“It’s also really helped my communication skills and I feel much more confident when talking to other people. I can’t recommend doing an apprenticeship strongly enough.”

Talking about the awards, Molly said that she was not expecting to win one never mind two awards.

“I sat right at the back of the room because I thought I wouldn’t win anything,” explained Molly. “I was completely overwhelmed when they read out my name as the competition was so tough. I was up against four other apprentices for the overall award who were all exceptional.

“I’d really like to thank my tutors at First College and my colleagues at ELDC who have all supported me by doing witness statements and helping me with my college work. Without them I would not be where I am today.”

First College said: “Molly is a great example of how apprenticeships can help individuals learn new skills, knowledge and competence. One of the main advantages for learners such as Molly is the work experience aspect of the apprenticeship. Without a doubt, learners’ overall confidence, self-esteem, communication and interpersonal skills become a strength, especially in terms of team working and using SMART objectives to plan and prioritise tasks.

“Molly is a role model to young people and has the learning and life journey to prove that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible and learning needs do not hinder achievements.

“Her mental health has really improved, and we believe her apprenticeship placement has given her new self-belief.”

Cllr Craig Leyland, Leader of ELDC said: “I’m delighted to hear of Molly’s success. The awards are a wonderful way of highlighting the benefits of training and gaining qualifications through an apprenticeship. We all learn in different ways and Molly’s success is testament to the versatility of apprenticeships.

Throughout the ceremony, friends, family, and colleagues came together to celebrate wins in various other categories. These included:

  • Health and Care winner – Zara Lewis from Lincoln who undertook Level 3 Business Administrator with Lincolnshire Community Health Service.
  • Education winner – Christopher Fitzpatrick from Freiston in Boston who undertook Level 3 Digital Marketing at Brooks and Kirk (Assessor Training) Ltd.
  • Government and Public Services winner – Molly Fitch from Louth who undertook Level 2 Customer Service Practitioner with East Lindsey District Council.
  • Visitor Economy winner – Ben Spencer from Faldingworth who undertook Level 2 Animal Management at The Parrot Zoo Trust in Friskney.
  • Construction, Engineering and Technology winner – Graeme Matthews from Lincoln who undertook Level 2 Engineering Operative at ProAmpac.

Simon Telfer, HR Director at Branston Ltd and Chair of the LEP’s Employment and Skills Advisory Panel, presented one of the awards on the night. He said: “Congratulations go to all the winners and nominees for their hard work, and in particular to Molly for her fantastic achievement.

“Becoming an apprentice means you can earn while you learn at any age and employers recognise the tailored approach they offer. Apprenticeships are a real priority for us and we recently launched our new Apprenticeship Strategy for Greater Lincolnshire.”

To find out more about apprenticeships and traineeships across Greater Lincolnshire, click here.