Bury College has recognised the backing employers give to students as they take their first steps in their career.

As part of National Apprenticeship Week last week, the college has shown its appreciation to firms for their support.

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The college has awarded three businesses in Bury and the surrounding area with an Employer Star Award, which highlighted the development opportunities they offer to their staff completing apprenticeships.

One winner was Parkhouse Dental Surgery.

Principal dentist Navid Tahir was praised for his support and commitment to all the apprentices working under him.

He said: “Bury College apprentices have been great additions to our practice over the years.

“We love training them and seeing them develop.”

Another award winner was the Royal Bolton Hospital Foundation Trust, most notably the team managed by Wendy Parker at Crompton Health Centre.

Wendy said: “You can clearly see that the support Bury College provides to the apprentices has a huge impact.

“It plays a big part in their development as employees.”

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The third award winner was presented to High Meadows Day Nursery in Farnworth and manager Pamela Houghton spoke about the value of having apprentices in the workplace.

She said: “It has allowed us to upskill some of our existing staff members as they have taken on additional responsibilities as mentors and coaches.

“The apprentices themselves have also brought a lot to the nursery and they are constantly researching new ideas.”

The borough's MPs also spoke out about how beneficial apprenticeships are and how students can enter into a wide range of jobs and services.

Bury South MP Christian Wakeford said: “National Apprentice Week is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the many benefits that apprenticeships bring to employers, residents and the wider economy in Bury.

“This year’s theme is Skills For Life which gives us the opportunity to promote apprenticeships as a viable route to skilled careers for residents of any age and across a wide range of occupations and industries.”

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Bury North MP James Daly added: “Over the years I have been the MP for Bury North, it has been an absolute privilege to see first-hand the transformative benefits apprenticeships have had on local people.

“With 9,780 new apprenticeships created in Bury North since 2010, it is great to see this method of gaining the skills required for the modern workforce growing and getting the recognition it deserves.”

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