Nominations are made by employers and trainers who want to recognise the achievement, innovation, fresh thinking or other contributions to industry shown by AMRC apprentices, and are judged by a panel of AMRC Training Centre staff and award sponsors.

This year, two new awards will be handed out to worthy winners thanks to the generous support of Sheffield-born Dr Graham Siddall. Siddall, who lives in the United States, has been following the training centre’s progress from across the pond since it opened in 2014 and was keen to lend his hand to support this year’s ceremony on the 1^st March.

Siddall is a huge advocate of apprenticeships having undertaken one himself as a young student at the age of 18. This was a life-changing decision for him as it laid the groundwork for a long-term career in precision engineering and semiconductor technology.

However, what makes his involvement in the awards even more significant is that he was born in Attercliffe and, as a young boy, played in the spoil heaps around what was once the Orgreave coking plant, the site on which the training centre is built and hopes to expand.

“The awards evening is a great way to recognise and celebrate the hard work and achievements of apprentices” said Siddall. “I am looking forward to travelling from Seattle to Sheffield to attend the ceremony at Firth Court.

“Without the skill set that my apprenticeship gave me, I doubt that I could have had a more interesting and rewarding career. I was fortunate to be able to take advantage of the opportunities that were presented to me but I think it's much harder for young people today.

“That’s why it is good to see the University of Sheffield participating in the training and education of apprentices through the AMRC as a complementary path to the more traditional degree courses. The fact that 750 potential candidates applied for 250 places last year at AMRC shows the demand is there from both young people and employers.”

“To compete in today’s highly competitive international economy we need the best possible skills at all levels and apprentice training is a key ingredient for success.”

Businesses from across the region are involved in making the awards happen, sponsoring a wide range of categories including degree graduate, fabrication and welding, first year, HNC Achiever, machining, maintenance and technical support.

www.amrctraining.co.uk