A COLLEGE is Taunton is celebrating after four apprentices won five awards.

Richard Huish College had five winners at the Somerset Apprenticeship Awards on March 10.

Double award winner, Claire White, a business and administration apprentice who works at Musgrove Park Hospital, won Higher Apprentice of the Year and also claimed the special award of the evening, Apprenticeship Champion of the Year.

Meiah Pegler, Claire's assessor, said: "Claire has shown an outstanding level of dedication to both her studies and to improving her contribution to Musgrove Park Hospital throughout both her Level 3 apprenticeship and now her Level 4.

"Claire reflects the Musgrove NHS values in everything she does, and has taken on new challenges with the passion and enthusiasm which she brings to each task that she undertakes."

The Advanced Apprentice of the year was won by Shanice Cox, medical administration apprentice at Musgrove Park Hospital. Savill Andrews Limited won Micro Employer of the Year and Hydramatic Somerset Ltd won the New to Apprenticeships award. Lloyd & Whyte Group Ltd was also shortlisted for Medium Employer of the Year.

Shanice, 24, who is a support secretary within Musgrove Park Hospital, said: "When I started the advanced apprenticeship, I was working in another department within the hospital.

"In May 2016 a job came up for a support secretary and I felt that with the confidence I had gained from doing my apprenticeship so far, as well as attending college, I would be suitable for the job role. This qualification therefore helped me in securing a permanent job as I had the skills and knowledge to progress within the hospital."

Helen Robertshaw, Apprenticeship Lead at Musgrove Park Hospital was ecstatic on the evening and said: "I’m so pleased with the achievements of both Claire and Shanice, their hard work and determination has shone through and I am delighted they have been rewarded’.

The awards are part of Grow Somerset Talent, an initiative to maximise apprentice recruitment in Somerset, took place last week at the Holiday Inn, Taunton.

The evening consisted of nine award categories and a new award for Apprentice Champion of the Year, announced by Dale Edwards, CEO of the Somerset Chamber of Commerce.

Huish apprenticeship manager, Heidi Ashton, said: "This is an outstanding outcome for the Richard Huish Apprenticeship Programme, I am so proud of all of our apprentices, employers and the whole apprenticeship team, this is the result of a lot of hard work."