In a glitzy evening celebrating excellence in skill development, Team QEH soared to new heights at the prestigious Apprenticeship and Skills Awards.
Held at the stunning Hilton Cambridge City Centre last Tuesday (8 October), the East of England regional ceremony was a night to remember for Practice Development Facilitator Paul Bridges and Organisational Development and Talent Coordinator Sabine Kiukucane, who each clinched highly commended awards for their outstanding contributions.
This year, the event marked its 21st anniversary, showcasing the incredible achievements of apprentices, T-Level students, and the businesses and organisations that support them.
Paul Bridges, Practice Development Facilitator at the King’s Lynn hospital, was honoured with The Royal Air Force Skills Champion of the Year Highly Commended Award for his innovative work in developing the QEH Operating Department Practitioner (OPD) apprenticeship. Faced with the challenge of recruiting qualified ODPs for the theatre complex, Paul spearheaded a groundbreaking initiative to create a sustainable long-term solution.
Paul said: “I’m so pleased and proud to have received not only my nomination, but then to go on and be awarded highly commended in the National Apprenticeship Awards, Royal Air Force Skills Champion of the Year category.
“It really means a huge amount to me. Apprenticeships are absolutely essential for us here at Team QEH to both grow and sustain our workforce for the future. Not only does it help us to recruit as a Trust, but it also provides opportunities for the local community who may have never considered training or a qualification in healthcare.
“Additionally, we have seen more people come for work experience in the operating theatre than ever before which has been brilliant for both promoting our trust and department as a place to work but also the ODP profession too.”
Sabine Kiukucane, Talent and Organisational Development Coordinator was awarded The Gatsby T-Level Student of the Year Highly Commended Award, a testament to her dedication and excellence in her field.
Sabine joined Team QEH for an industry placement while on her T-Level course at College of West Anglia, and was placed in the Recruitment Team. Sabine shone throughout her placement and was able to use the skills and knowledge she learned to secure bank roles in resourcing, car parking and breast care, followed by a fixed term contract in the Talent and OD Team.
In her heartfelt acceptance, Sabine said: “It is so exciting to be nominated and receive this award. I love working at the hospital and the teams I have worked alongside have helped me grow since I joined as a T-Level student in the recruitment department.”
The QEH currently has 193 apprentices, equating to 4.5% of its colleagues, over 40 different apprenticeship standards including Multimedia Marketing, Nursing, and Fundraising.
John Syson, Director of People at The QEH, said: “A huge congratulations to Paul and Sabine. It is absolutely fantastic that they have been recognised for their hard work and commitment and is very well deserved.
At The QEH, we are extremely passionate about providing supportive learning environments that benefit our employees and allow them to develop both personally and professionally.”
If you are interested in joining Team QEH as an apprentice, head to our website – The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust: apprenticeships (qehkl.nhs.uk) – to find out more and apply.
Ends. Notes to editors; For media enquiries only, please contact Communications Team, media.enquiries@qehkl.nhs.uk or 01553 613216. For all other enquiries, please contact QEH Switchboard on 01553 613613.
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