Apprentice of the Year
sponsored by Keelham Farm Shop
Apprenticeships are increasingly popular and important among companies wanting to train tomorrow’s workforce. We know there have been some fantastic successes locally and this is a chance for companies to shout about their best apprentices who have come through their programmes. We are looking for individual nominations for apprentices who are currently on, or who have just completed, an apprenticeship programme with a company. The judges will want to know why this particular apprentice has surpassed themselves, not just fulfilling the basic requirements but flying through the training and excelling in their field. We would also like to hear about the company’s apprenticeship programme – how many apprentices are trained in a year, what sort of tutorials they undergo, how many of them go on to take up permanent positions within the company. Keiran Heptonstall (pictured above), who works at NDW Limited, was named Apprentice of the Year at the 2017 event. Living in Holme Wood, he has had to set off at 5.30am each day to cycle to work at Apperley Bridge. He has been described as an asset to the company and turns up at work on time and in all weathers. Keelham Farm Shop has been producing and selling fresh food in Thornton, on the outskirts of Bradford, for over 40 years and in June 2015, Keelham opened a second shop in Skipton that took fresh food retail to a new level in Yorkshire. There’s a food revolution taking place in the independent sector in Yorkshire and Keelham is leading the way, making available at affordable prices some of the best fresh food products from across the region. The Keelham team have created their own approach to food retail, learning from its 40-plus year origins as a small, family farm and shop. Today, Keelham is a significant regional business that is making a positive difference to customers, communities, farmers, producers, suppliers and to the local economy.
