We went out and about during National Apprenticeship Week (9 – 13 Feb) to recognise some of our top apprentices.
We took our Edge Awards out on the road, travelling across the region to surprise apprentices at their places of work.
In total 18 apprentices picked up awards from a wide range of curriculum areas including business, digital tech, catering, construction, hairdressing and automotive.
Rachael Thompson from Esh Construction scooped the top accolade of Outstanding Apprentice of the Year after wowing the judges with her proactive approach to learning and respectful approach and support to other apprentices. Rachael’s nomination recognised her as a strong role model for women in STEM who is constantly expanding her knowledge around sustainability daily.
David Alexander, Principal and CEO, said: “Each year, our Edge Awards for Apprenticeships remain a real highlight for me. It’s a privilege to shine a light on the incredible work being carried out by our apprentices and the staff and employers who support them. We’ve had another fantastic week visiting workplaces, presenting the awards and surprising this year’s winners. The calibre of nominations continues to be outstanding, and everyone who received an award should be extremely proud of what they’ve achieved.”
Gateshead College trains more than 1,000 apprentices many of these are in the North East but we also train apprentices throughout the UK including in London and Manchester.
The Edge Awards for Apprenticeships 2026 winners:
And the staff scooping awards:
We’ve four more awards for winners that weren’t available during National Apprenticeship Week and we’ll be surprising them as soon as we can.
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