Winner Sara Matthias and runner-up Kirsten Bland with their awardsBournemouth University (BU) celebrated the achievements of its apprentices at this year’s Dorset Apprenticeship Awards, held on Thursday 15 May.
Sara Matthias, a Level 7 Advanced Clinical Practitioner apprentice, won the prestigious Degree Level Apprenticeship Award, with fellow BU apprentice Kirsten Bland, a Level 7 Senior Leader, named runner-up in the same category. In addition, Cassidy Maidment, a Level 4 HNC Electronic Design Engineering apprentice studying through our valued partnership with Bournemouth and Poole College, was runner-up in the Higher Level Apprenticeship Award.
Organised by Dorset Chamber and the Dorset and Somerset Training Provider Network (DSTPN), and sponsored by Superior Seals Ltd, the Dorset Apprenticeship Awards shine a light on exceptional apprentices and the employers and providers who support them. This year’s awards recognised 16 finalists across five categories, celebrating talent and commitment from across the region.
This local recognition follows BU’s Outstanding rating from Ofsted for its apprenticeship provision, reinforcing our commitment to delivering high-quality, career-focused learning through strong industry and community partnerships.
Professor Philip Sewell, Director of Apprenticeships and Skills at BU, commented: "I always enjoy attending the Dorset Apprenticeship Awards to hear the inspirational stories of how apprenticeships have changed the apprentices’ lives. I congratulate all the apprentices who were nominated for awards. I am proud that two BU master level apprentices received recognition. I am also pleased to see the partnership with Bournemouth and Poole College go from strength to strength with our higher level apprentice in engineering also receiving recognition."
The awards ceremony was held at Superior in Ferndown and attended by finalists, their families, and industry guests including Superior’s Managing Director Tim Brown and The Repair Shop’s Sonnaz Nooranvary, a former apprentice and celebrated upholstery expert.
BU continues to invest in regional talent through collaborative, high-impact apprenticeship programmes that build future-ready skills and support economic growth in the local community.
For further information about the apprenticeships available to study, please visit the BU website.
