An award-winning apprentice is encouraging other people to join the care sector after securing her ‘dream job’.
Lily Mercer, a reablement care and support worker, was honoured at the recent North Yorkshire Apprenticeship Awards.
The awards, hosted by The Yorkshire Post, pay tribute to the region’s most dedicated apprentices, employers, training providers and mentors and were held at the Cedar Court Hotel in Harrogate.
Lily, 27 and based in Skipton, was named advanced apprentice of the year and also received a special recognition certificate in the health and public service apprenticeship category.
Lily said: “I feel absolutely honoured and over the moon to have won, just being nominated felt wonderful. I was extremely shocked.
“I was successfully appointed to a team leader post in the same week that I won the awards which I am incredibly proud of. I feel all my hard work and dedication has now got me my dream job.”
Lily said her apprenticeship, which she completed in February, had been a very positive experience.
“I learned lots of new skills every day which meant I could put them into practice within my role. I was also able to attend extra training courses, which enabled me to gain further knowledge,” she said.
“In addition, I had the opportunity to complete Management Learning Sets within North Yorkshire Council, where we discuss and solve workplace challenges. This was practical, and knowledge based and gave me the opportunity to develop my leadership skills.”
Lily has mentored colleagues through their Level 2 Apprenticeships, supporting them with digital tools, communication skills, and confidence-building.
“I now feel confident speaking to groups, sharing knowledge, and using coaching techniques to bring out the best in others,” she said. “My apprenticeship has not only developed my own skills but has given me the confidence to help those around me. I’ve helped create a positive, ambitious team that is committed to delivering exceptional care.
“One of my goals is to encourage people to join the care sector, providing mentorship, support, and teaching skills within care. I also aim to promote apprenticeship programmes, so other people can benefit as I have.”
In addition to Lily’s success, our adult health and social care apprenticeship programme was named training provider/programme of the year, beating seven other finalists.
Aimed at tackling workforce challenges in adult health and social care, the team, working closely with staff from provider services, developed an innovative apprenticeship programme that supports current staff, identifies future leaders and strengthens recruitment, development, and retention.
Head of learning and development, Louise Bell, said: “Lily is a shining example of this success. Her achievements highlight the impact of our apprenticeship upskills programme and reflect the quality of training and support we strive to deliver. We are excited to see what the future holds for her.”
Executive member for education, learning and skills, Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, whose responsibilities include apprenticeships, said: “These awards are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our apprentices and the teams who support them.
“We are incredibly proud of Lily and our adult care apprenticeship programme, both of which reflect our commitment to developing a skilled, motivated, and future-ready workforce.”
At the same awards, Align Property Partners was named SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) employer of the year.
Since 2016, the council-owned property consultancy has taken on 43 apprentices that have been offered sponsored training with a progression through to degree level, across a range of specialisms.
The managing director of Align, Ron Walton said: “Our apprentices bring so much to the company and it’s always very special to see talented young people come in, hone their skills, and reach their potential."