Gower College Swansea has held a special awards ceremony at Swansea.com Stadium as part of Apprenticeship Week Wales 2026.
The event, which honoured the outstanding commitment and dedication of the College’s apprentices, staff and employer partners from across Wales and England, was hosted by presenter/broadcaster Ross Harries, who has been the face of Welsh rugby for more than a decade.
Guest speakers for the night were James Owen, Chief Executive of Medr, and Jonathan Morris, Strategic Partnerships and External Affairs Manager at Tai Tarian.
“Apprenticeships are a key priority for many employers in terms of meeting the skills needed to develop and grow their businesses and I am delighted that, especially in recent years, the College has been able to respond to this demand,” says Principal, Paul Kift.
“Today we have over 2,500 apprentices at any one time, but I am also delighted to report that the quality of the provision has also strengthened with our apprentices, staff and programmes being recognised in Wales at the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru and the Inspire Tutor Awards, and also across the UK at the Times Educational Supplement (TES) FE Awards, the Annual Apprenticeship Conference (AAC) Awards, and the Association of Colleges (AOC) Beacon Awards.”
Our 2026 apprentices of the year are:
Accountancy Apprentice of the Year - Alex Hoskin, Castleview Accountancy
Activity Leadership & Sports Development Apprentice of the Year - Sinead Hogan, Ysgol Ty Gwyn
Built Environment Apprentice of the Year - Leon Lezzi, Swansea Council
Business Administration Apprentice of the Year - Mikayla Novak, EYST
Business and Quality Improvement Apprentice of the Year - Ross Cotter, Energybuild Ltd
Childcare/Educational Support Apprentice of the Year - Katy Campbell, Rocking Horse Day Nursery
Civil Engineering Apprentice of the Year - Lewis Colborne, RMG Groundworks
Community Development Apprentice of the Year - Richard Thomas, United Welsh
Construction Apprentice of the Year - Sonny Desmond, J Lynch Building
Contact Centre Apprentice of the Year - Matthew Roberts, TUI
Customer Service Apprentice of the Year - Caitlin Lockett, Robert Price Builders Merchants
Digital Learning Design Apprentice of the Year - Tetiana Bohach, JoJo Maman Bébé
Electronics Apprentice of the Year - Freddy Thompson, NHS
Engineering and Motor Vehicle Apprentice of the Year - Liam Atkins, CJ Motors
Facilities and Resource Management Apprentice of the Year - Zoe Payne, Swansea Council
Floorcovering Apprentice of the Year - Keenan James, Lee James Flooring
Health Care Apprentice of the Year - Elizabeth Illing, Swansea Bay University Health Board
Housing Apprentice of the Year - Ross Williams, Merthyr Valley Homes
Information, Advice and Guidance Apprentice of the Year - Daniel Payne-Wilks, TCH Group
IT and Digital Apprentice of the Year - Elisha Cook, DVLA
Laboratory and Science Apprentice of the Year - Isobel Taylor, Hydratech
Legal Services Apprentice of the Year - Ruby Shadrach, JCP Solicitors
Management and Development Apprentice of the Year - Hana Kubiszova, Adept Consulting
Social Care Apprentice of the Year - Zoe Thicker, Pembrokeshire Council
Youth Work Apprentice of the Year - Cerian Asplet-Phoenix, Flintshire County Council
Pencampwr Cymraeg Gwobr Prentis - Katy Campbell, Rocking Horse Day Nursery
Pencampwr Cymraeg Gwobr Prentisiaeth Cyflogwr - Adra
Pencampwr Cymraeg Gwobr Prentisiaeth Tiwtor/Aseswr - Lowri Williams
Electrical, Electronic Product Service and Installation Apprentice of the Year (England) – Bradley Ager, Fisher and Paykel
Facilities Management Apprentice of the Year (England) – Fathema Sarkar, Marlin
Apprenticeship Tutor/Assessor of the Year - Anne Fellowes
Apprenticeship Tutor/Assessor of the Year (England) - Michael Rowe
Apprentice Employer of the Year (England) – St Monica Trust
Apprentice Employer of the Year (1-49 employees) – Meithrinfa Ffalabalam Cyfyngedig
Apprentice Employer of the Year (50-249 employees) – Energybuild Ltd
Apprentice Employer of the Year (250+ employees) – Ecolab
Apprentice Employer Champion of the Year – Rachel Healion, Swansea Council
Foundation Apprentice of the Year - Ross Cotter, Energybuild Ltd
Higher Apprentice of the Year - Hana Kubiszova, Adept Consulting
Apprentice of the Year (England) - Hamza Imansouren, Fisher & Paykel
Apprentice of the Year - Liam Atkins, CJ Motors
Many thanks to the Gorseinon Campus Jazz Band, led by Simon Prothero, for providing the arrival entertainment, and our Theatre and Live Events Production team, led by Adrian Hocking, for their fantastic work on the set, lighting and sound.
The event was part of a wide range of activities the College organised to celebrate Apprenticeship Week Wales 2026.
On 4 February, the College held a special open evening especially for people who are interested in apprenticeships. The event was a great success, with over 500 attending to chat with lecturers and employers.