Aspiring apprentices and further/higher education learners were rewarded for their excellence at this week’s glittering Land-based & Environment Learner Awards Ceremony.
The Land-based & Environment Learner (LBEL) Awards were launched this June by leading land-based training & qualification awarding body Lantra, and the representative body for land-based colleges and universities, Landex.
The awards were open to apprentices, further education and higher education learners working and studying in land-based and environmental sectors between September 2021 and September 2022.
The aim is to reward top candidates in industries including agriculture and horticulture, forestry, environmental conservation, landscaping, and equine, amongst others.
These sectors face skills shortages and low levels of diversity, and both Lantra and Landex are both working hard to attract new blood and provide recruits with the key skills they need to succeed.
With the celebration of new talent at the LBEL Awards, it is hoped more potential entrants will recognise the various land-based industries as rewarding career choices with exciting long-term prospects.
In its inaugural year, organisers received over 120 nominations across 10 categories and a panel of industry professionals picked an outstanding apprentice and an outstanding learner in each category.
Here's the full list of the winners:
Agriculture
Apprentice of the Year (Sponsored by Farmers Weekly) - Millie Francis (Askham Bryan College)
Learner of the Year (Sponsored by Farmers Weekly) – Cerys Fairclough (Reaseheath College)
Animal Care and Management
Apprentice of the Year (Sponsored by Cheshire Horse Sanctuary) – Heather-Anne Pedley (Chester Zoo, Derby College Group)
Learner of the Year (Sponsored by Cheshire Horse Sanctuary) – Hannah Sinclair (University Centre Reaseheath)
Arboriculture, Forestry and Woodland Management
Apprentice of the Year (Sponsored by Arbortec Forestwear) – Gabriella Jardin (Myerscough College)
Learner of the Year (Sponsored by EGO) – Kacper Nowakowski (Reaseheath College)
Environment, Conservation, Game and Wildlife
Apprentice of the Year (Sponsored by BASC) – Kamran Flaxman (Sparsholt College)
Learner of the Year (Sponsored by BASC) – Emily Rosa (Kingston Maurward College)
Equine and Farriery
Apprentice of the Year (Sponsored by Dodson & Horrell) – Lydia Turnbull (Askham Bryan College)
Learner of the Year (Sponsored by The Pony Club) – Annalise Fox-Ford (Sparsholt College Group)
Floristry
Apprentice of the Year (Sponsored by Interflora Floristry Trade Club) – Shelley Keefe (Windsor Forest Colleges Group)
Learner of the Year (Sponsored by Interflora Floristry Trade Club) – Emily Robbins (Suffolk Rural)
Landscape and Horticulture
Apprentice of the Year (Sponsored by Hillier) – Abigail Bradshaw (Bedford College Group – Shuttleworth College)
Learner of the Year (Sponsored by ProGreen) – Lewis West (Reaseheath College)
Land-based Engineering
Apprentice of the Year (Sponsored by AEA) – Adam Keen (Finning UK)
Learner of the Year (Sponsored by AEA) – Luke Tighe (Reaseheath College)
Sports Turf and Greenkeeping
Apprentice of the Year (Sponsored by Grounds Fest) – Martin Foster (Askham Bryan College)
Veterinary Nursing
Apprentice of the Year (Sponsored by vntimes) – Joshua Sancho (City and Islington College)
Learner of the Year (Sponsored by vntimes) – Sophie Walker (Plumpton College)
Overall Winners
Learner of the Year – Cerys Fairclough (Reaseheath College)
Apprentice of the Year – Adam Keen (Finning UK)
The awards ceremony, held at Reaseheath College on 22 November 2023, was attended by Minster of State for Food, Farming and Fisheries, Mark Spencer MP, celebrity farmer Adam Henson, and more than 200 guests.
Commenting on the Awards and paying tribute to all the winners, host Adam Henson said:
“I am absolutely delighted to have been invited to host the very first Land-based and Environment Learner Awards. In my various roles, I’m lucky enough to encounter some amazing young people who are passionate about their jobs and are a complete inspiration. Tonight was no exception. The level of enthusiasm, professionalism and passion, blew me away – a big well done to everyone”.