The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn (The QEH) is proud to celebrate the success of Amy Durrant, who has been named Apprentice of the Year at the College of West Anglia’s (CWA) prestigious 2025 Student of the Year Awards.
Amy, who has worked at the hospital for six years and is now Recruitment Manager, was recognised for her outstanding professional development, leadership achievements, and her commitment to improving recruitment processes within the NHS.
The award ceremony took place on Tuesday 11 June at the King’s Lynn Corn Exchange, where students from across all four CWA campuses were honoured for their achievements.
Amy’s journey with The QEH began in 2019 when she joined the Trust as a Resourcing Assistant in the Temporary Staffing team, before progressing to Recruitment Coordinator and later being promoted to Recruitment Manager in 2021.
Although Amy had a Level 3 Business Management qualification, she had never attended university and was looking for a way to continue her learning while working. After speaking with the Learning and Development team at the hospital, she enrolled on a Level 5 Operational Management Apprenticeship at the College of West Anglia in April 2022. Alongside this, she also completed an ILM Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management.
Reflecting on her apprenticeship, Amy said: “My apprenticeship has been invaluable in helping me grow as a leader. I was able to continue working full-time while studying one day a week, and I’ve gained skills that I’ve already been able to apply – such as introducing digital recruitment forms and reducing time-to-hire. I’m incredibly grateful for the support I’ve received from my team, my manager, and my commercial trainer David. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to do this.”
In May 2025, Amy completed her end-point assessment and was awarded a distinction, along with passing her additional Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) qualification. Her outstanding results led to her being nominated for Apprentice of the Year – an award she went on to win – and she has also been nominated for the Norfolk Apprentice of the Year award.
In addition to her local recognition, Amy’s success has now been recognised at a national level – she has been nominated for the Association of Colleges (AoC) Student of the Year Award, a highly competitive national competition that celebrates exceptional learners from colleges across the UK.
“I feel incredibly honoured to have won this award,” Amy said. “It means so much to be recognised for doing something I truly love. My apprenticeship has been a life-changing experience – I’ve learned so much and have been supported every step of the way. I’m proud to be part of such an amazing team and excited for what comes next.”
The QEH currently supports over 130 apprentices across 33 apprenticeship standards, including Nursing, Leadership, and Coding – with apprentices making up 3% of the hospital’s workforce.
John Syson, Director of People at The QEH, said: “We are absolutely delighted for Amy and couldn’t be prouder of her success. She embodies everything we value at The QEH and is a fantastic example of the impact apprenticeships can have – both for individuals and for our wider workforce. She is a credit to the hospital and her future is very bright.”
Amy’s story highlights the life-changing power of apprenticeships and the strength of the partnership between The QEH and the College of West Anglia in developing the next generation of NHS leaders.
If you are interested in joining Team QEH as an apprentice, visit our website to find out more.
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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