Five apprentices studying for degree apprenticeships through The Open University (OU) have been awarded a Certificate of Merit at the prestigious Tech Industry Gold Apprenticeship Awards from TechSkills,
The awards recognise the achievements of apprentices on Tech Industry Gold degree apprenticeships and were presented at a virtual ceremony, (Wednesday 16th June 2021) which was attended by degree apprentices, employers, and higher education institutions from across the UK.
Winners Robson Grant, Simon Lodge and Niall Middleton, Frances Mahony and Ben Brooks were nominated by their OU Practice Tutors for their incredible success as Digital and Technology Solutions Professional Degree Apprentices.
Jane Dickinson, Digital Skills Lead at The Open University said:
“We are thrilled that Tech Industry Gold have chosen to celebrate the achievements of these five fantastic apprentices. They have worked so hard on their degree apprenticeships so far and have achieved so much at their place of work – from devising a system to allow people to visit patients in hospital, to supporting a school to roll-out its online learning overnight. We would also like to thank their Practice Tutors for nominating them and for all their hard work.
Degree Apprenticeships are a great way to learn and earn, bringing benefits to the individual and the business from day one. As the largest provider of degree apprenticeships in England, we are proud of the role the OU is playing opening up education to even more people, of all backgrounds.”
Robson Grant is a Software Developer at Milton Keynes University Hospital (NHS). Now in his final year of his apprenticeship his role involves supporting hospital staff and patients using the latest IT software and solutions; the development of websites and creating and managing databases and mentoring other apprentices. During his apprenticeship, Robson has used his time to make positive changes to the way the hospital operates including creating a tool that has allowed thousands of people to visit their loved ones safely in hospital during the pandemic. Robson also won 2018 Apprentice of the Year award. Robson was nominated by his Practice Tutor, Mo Telford. Read more about Robson’s story here.
Simon Lodge is a Principle Network Architect for Pearson PLC. He is responsible for the strategy and design of network-related products and services the organisation makes use of, including but not limited to cloud network deployments, load-balancing services and DNS. Having joined his company at a period of significant change, Simon successfully navigated through his increased workload at the same time as juggling a young family and health issues. Despite these challenges, Simon achieved a Distinction in his end of year Java module – a fantastic result. Simon was nominated by his Practice Tutor, Michelle Dewey. Read more about Simon’s story here.
Niall Middleton is a Junior Software Developer for web technology consultancy Olamalu His role is to build and maintain web technology solutions and to find ways to improve how Olamalu works as a company. He has accomplished a huge amount since he started 18 months ago including development of an in-production automated error management system for Olamalu’s client sites which has significantly enhanced the efficiency and robustness of Olamalu’s client support as well as establishing a Code Review Standard. Niall was nominated by his Practice Tutor, Liz Victor. Read more about Niall’s story here.
Frances Mahony is an Apprentice Software Engineer for Shell Energy working in a team that specialises in developing solutions relating to energy suppliers’ interactions with Smart Meters. She continues to make an impact at work and her contribution and Java programming skills have been recognised and are highly valued by her team. Frances was nominated by her Practice Tutor, Andy Hollyhead. Read more about Frances’s story here.
Ben Brooks is an ICT Technician at Bishop Road Primary School, the largest primary school in Bristol. His role involves supporting all school staff and teachers with any IT queries or issues, as well as managing and maintaining the school ICT estate and network and managing the school website. During the pandemic the school required major infrastructure and systems changes which were all delivered successfully under Ben’s leadership. Ben was nominated by his Practice Tutor, Stewart Long. Read more about Ben’s story here.
TechSkills is the not-for-profit, employer-led organisation which brings together employers and educators to develop the digital talent industry needs. TechSkills is responsible for Tech Industry Gold, the industry accreditation for education and training relevant to digital and tech careers.
