THIS year's T&A Bradford Means Business Awards will once again celebrate the achievements of up and coming talent in the Apprentice of the Year category.

This category, sponsored by Craven College, is seeking individual nominations for apprentices who are currently on, or who have just completed, an apprenticeship programme with a company- and excelled in all they do.

You can enter the awards by following this link 

Last year's Apprentice of the Year winner was Keeley McIntyre, a plasterer at Bradford social housing group Incommunities.

Among those in the running for the 2016 award are second year manufacturing apprentice Luke Chadwick, apprentice joiner Cieran Marshall and publishing trainee Shannon Hawker.

Luke works at Bradford laundry products company Christeyns where he has worked in different departments as part of his training and is described as "outstanding" by managing director Nick Garthwaite.

Luke has been selected by Bradford training body Appris to lead a team in a national awards scheme.

Nick Garthwaite said: "Luke has been outstanding, a truly willing and able employee who for sure has a bright future with the company.During a period of maternity leave by a colleague he single handedly took over the production planning duties for one of our busy production departments - the transition was remarkably seamless, not bad for a teenager!"

Cieran has been nominated by his employer, Cross Hills-based bespoke furniture maker Jonathan Carey Design Ltd for showing sustained commitment across a range of tasks, including managing small workshop projects .

He has also worked on a key £1 million prestige order for a customer in London's West End.

Alex Campbell. business manager, said: " Sustained levels of commitment have been shown with every task Cieran has undertaken. His ability to take on board various techniques has improved greatly since joining our team. Cieran's interaction with other members of the workshop has be recognised by all and he has quickly become a valued member of the company."

Shannon, who joined Silsden-based publisher Authors Abroad at 16, has progressed to co-ordinating the production of a book for a school in Thailand.

Lisa Williams, director, said: "This was a mammoth task that required not only excellent organisational skills but no small amount of diplomacy. The school could not believe that it was a 16 year old who had coordinated this difficult task.

"Shannon shows great initiative and is extremely dependable. She is a fantastic advertisement for the apprenticeship training scheme and has grown tremendously in self confidence and is now regarded on equal terms with her more experienced colleagues."

Full details of the 11 awards categories and how to enter form can be found here.