A WORCESTER housing provider has been nominated for a trio of awards.

Sanctuary Group, based in the city, has been recognised for its work with apprentices by being nominated for three of this year’s Worcestershire Apprenticeships Awards.

The firm has been nominated in the Large Apprentice Employer of the Year category, while business and administration apprentice Abigail Bradley is on the shortlist for Intermediate Level Apprentice of the Year.

Former Sanctuary Apprentice Ben Hyde, now an assistant finance officer with the group, has also been shortlisted in the Apprentice Champion of the Year category.

Nicole Seymour, Sanctuary’s group director – corporate services, said: “We’re very proud of our apprenticeship programme and delighted that our commitment to investing in apprentices and supporting them to realise their ambitions has been recognised with these nominations.

“Abigail is a credit to our organisation and Ben has worked tirelessly to promote apprenticeships both within Sanctuary Group and to a wider audience across the country, and this recognition for their efforts is very well-deserved.”

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Sanctuary’s national apprenticeship programme was established in 2008 and has since supported more than 1,800 people into work, both directly and indirectly through development partners.

Apprentices work in a variety of business areas, including finance, IT, housing, business and administration and health and social care, gaining valuable experience in the workplace while studying for practical qualifications alongside their day-to-day role.

The winners of this year’s Worcestershire Apprenticeship Awards will be revealed during a ceremony at West Midlands Safari Park on 14 November, hosted by former British Paralympic swimmer and gold medallist Marc Woods.

The Worcestershire Apprenticeships Awards celebrate those who go the extra mile to make a difference in training and developing apprentices across a range of business sectors.