East of England regional ceremony – Wednesday, 12 September

Today (12 September) Newmarket Racecourse in the East of England hosted the second ceremony, with 16 winners and highly commended employers and apprentices from across a range of industries – including healthcare, hospitality, e-commerce and local government – picking up awards.

Apprentice category winners and highly commended:

• the British Army Award for Intermediate Apprentice of the Year was won by Chloe Ludkin from Treatt; Joshua Wraith from Victory Housing was highly commended

• the Rolls Royce Award for Advanced Apprentice of the Year was won by Jade Smith from Abcam; Sonny Meijer from Ford and Slater was highly commended

• the Nuclear Decommissioning Site Licence Companies Award for Higher or Degree Apprentice of the Year was won by Georgia Cresswell from MedImmune; James Kemp from BT was highly commended

• the Lloyds Banking Group Award for ‘Rising Star’ was won by Aleksander Burzec from Home Group; whilst Benjamin Godfrey from Direct Line Group was highly commended

Employer category winners and highly commended:

• the BAE Systems Award for SME Employer of the Year was won by Stainless Metalcraft (Chatteris) Ltd; Plandescil Ltd were highly commended

• the Royal Navy Award for Large Employer of the Year was won by Bespak Europe Ltd; East of England Co-op were highly commended

• Macro Employer of the Year was won by: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Greene King were highly commended

• the PeoplePlus Award for Recruitment Excellence was also presented to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; with Plandescil Ltd being highly commended in this category

South East regional ceremony – Tuesday, 11 September

Mercedes Benz World in the South East has, today (11 September), hosted the first event, with 18 winners and highly commended employers and apprentices representing industries including biopharmaceuticals, telecommunications, health and digital.

Apprentice category winners and highly commended:

• the British Army Award for Intermediate Apprentice of the Year was won by Natalie Annalls from Surrey Heath Borough Council; Rhys Hider from Summers Accident Repair Centre was highly commended

• the Rolls Royce Award for Advanced Apprentice of the Year was won by Muhammad Khan from BT; Tatiana Peters from MBDA was highly commended

• the Nuclear Decommissioning Site Licence Companies Award for Higher or Degree Apprentice of the Year was won by Alisha Fordham from Pfizer; Kirsten Berry from MBDA was highly commended

• the Royal Air Force Award for Apprenticeship Champion of the Year, was won by Darren Ellis from ENGIE; Scott Wildman from University of Kent was highly commended

• the Lloyds Banking Group Award for ‘Rising Star’ was won by Aimee Wilkinson from BAE Systems; whilst Dominic Cordara from Aon was highly commended

This award recognises apprentices who have made impressive progress in their career to date and who show the potential, through their apprenticeship, to make it to the very top of their chosen profession. The general public will be invited to vote on the overall winner for this category at national stages of the competition.

Employer category winners and highly commended:

• the BAE Systems Award for SME Employer of the Year was won by Invotra; Rose Builders were highly commended
• the Royal Navy Award for Large Employer of the Year was won by MBDA; John O’Conner (Grounds Maintenance) Ltd were highly commended
• the Centrica Macro Employer of the Year was won by: Caring Homes Group; Ford Motor Company were highly commended
• the PeoplePlus Award for Recruitment Excellence was also presented to Caring Homes Group; with Ford Motor Company also being highly commended in this category

Now in their 15th year, the National Apprenticeship Awards showcase the diverse and growing range of sectors engaged with apprenticeships, whilst celebrating outstanding apprentices, employers and individuals who go above and beyond to champion apprenticeships across England.

The awards were open to apprentices, individuals who promote apprenticeships and employers of all sizes from all sectors. The refreshed categories, including the Rising Star and Recruitment Excellence categories for 2018 gave additional opportunities for entrants to demonstrate the impact apprenticeships have made to individual’s lives and their workplaces.

Keith Smith, Director, Apprenticeships Group, ESFA said:

I am delighted to see so many regional winners being recognised and representing such a wide variety of sectors and industries.

We know apprenticeships enable businesses to grow their own talent, and also allow individuals make a start or progress their careers. The talent presented by winners and highly commended finalists really does showcase the impact of apprenticeships on individuals and employers alike.

There really were some outstanding applications and great apprenticeship stories, all highlighting the many benefits apprenticeships bring. I wish all winners the best of luck as we progress to the national stage of the competition and I want to personally thank everyone who took time to enter the awards this year.

You can find more information on the National Apprenticeship Awards 2018 on GOV.UK.

I am delighted to welcome you all to the Midlands. Right at the heart of Britain’s automotive industry. Here, we are incredibly proud of our manufacturing history – home of some of the biggest brands in the world, the Mini, Aston Martin, Jaguar Land Rover – and equally proud that this is where the future of travel is now being made.

Now alongside Formula One – so much a British institution – we have Formula E leading the way at the cutting edge of green automotive technology, and this just shows how exciting this future can be.

Our automotive industry is one of this country’s great success stories. And as Britain looks to the future – as we build a global, outward facing country outside of the European Union, and as we forge a stronger, fairer economy – we are building on our strengths and investing in Britain for the long term.

We have an impressive track record in research and development, world class talent and skills, some of the best universities around the globe and one of the most productive research bases in the world.

Over the next decade, we will see the biggest ever increase in R&D investment in our history, aiming for total R&D to hit 2.4% of GDP by 2027. Our corporate tax is the lowest rate in the G20. And through our modern Industrial Strategy, we are backing the industries and technologies of the future, as we foster growth in every corner of our country.

At the heart of that strategy are four grand challenges – global trends set to change the way we live and work – including clean growth and the future of mobility.

Because, over the coming years, the way we commute, travel and have our goods and services delivered will change irrevocably.

Electrification, self-driving cars, delivery drones and electric cargo bikes – will all help reduce traffic, improve journey times and safety, and free-up space in our towns and cities.

But innovation will also clean up our air – and that is why we are here today, at this, the UK’s first zero-emission vehicles summit.

How we accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles – and ensure cleaner air for all our people – is one of the most pressing issues in modern transport. That we have here government representatives and industry experts – from every continent – shows how global this issue is, affecting towns and cities around the world. And as we stand on the brink of the next revolution in transport – a green revolution – I want to see Britain, once again, leading from the front and working with industries and countries around the world to spearhead change.

That is why I have set this country an ambitious mission. To put the UK at the forefront of the design and manufacturing of zero-emission vehicles and for all new cars and vans to be, effectively, zero emission by 2040.

Already we are taking significant strides forward. Our electric, UK-manufactured cars account for one-in-five sold in Europe. Our batteries are among the best in the world.

And our Road to Zero Strategy is the most comprehensive plan globally – mapping out in detail how we will reach our target for all new cars and vans to be, effectively, zero emission by 2040 – and for every car and van to be zero emission by 2050.

We are investing in the design, development and infrastructure needed to speed up the uptake of green vehicles. We are providing £1.5 billion for ultra-low-emission vehicles by 2020, and creating a £400 million fund to invest in the roll-out of charging point infrastructure, in partnership with industry.

We have legislated to ensure charge points can be easily accessed and available at motorway service stations and other petrol stations.

We will consult on the introduction of green number plates – and how they might be used to promote clean vehicles and increase their use.

We are providing a £2 million grant for e-Cargo bikes, creating a zero-emission option for last mile deliveries.

And today we have provided over £100 million of funding for innovators in ultra-low-emission vehicles and hydrogen technology. With a further £500 million of investment from key industries in this sector, creating over 1000 jobs across the UK.

So we are driving change further, and faster.

But this is not just about new technologies. It is also about new skills and job opportunities – which is why I am delighted that Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership has invested in a new Degree Apprenticeship Centre with the University of Warwick, focusing on the high-value manufacturing sector and backed by £10 million of government local growth funding.

Together, all these measures will drive the design, use, uptake and infrastructure necessary for cleaner, greener vehicles – and in doing so, it will help us drastically reduce a major contributor to our global warming emissions, as we seek to meet the Paris Climate Change Agreement.

But we cannot do this alone. At the One Planet Summit last year I announced we would invite, to the UK, policy makers and industry leaders from across the world to provide impetus to this vital market. We are here today because the issues we face are not the preserve of any one country. They belong to all of us – and they require all of us to pull together, to solve the problems that all our countries face.

Governments, industry, innovators from around the world need to work together to transform the development of the zero-emission vehicles market.

So, this afternoon I am hosting an Automotive Investment Roundtable with leading supply-chain companies from Germany, the USA, Japan, China, Spain and India, to explore what more we can do to accelerate the development of a zero-emissions market – and to highlight the UK’s offer. Today demonstrates that the government’s commitment and comprehensive strategy has given businesses the confidence to invest and to innovate, and help deliver the zero-emission transition for the benefit of us all.

And I want to urge everyone here to make the most of this summit, make connections, explore possibilities – and to use this as a starting point to convince others of the importance of the green revolution in transport.

And let’s not lose sight of why this is so important.

Because yes, it’s about innovation, new ideas and exciting developments.

But it is about so much more – for ourselves, and for the generations to come.

So that our children in schools and nurseries that sit alongside main roads – do not have to breathe in harmful emissions in a bid to get an education.

So that our cities’ parks and green spaces really are places where you can get out and get some clean, fresh air.

So that families everywhere – from the country to the city centre – can ensure a healthy environment even for their most vulnerable members, young and old.

We have long lived with the idea that traffic is polluting. We know that no longer needs to be true. And we are on the brink of making it a thing of the past.

Let’s do so together. And transform the world in which we all live for the better.

Foreign Office Minister Mark Field visited the London office of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) today for the official handover of 100 forensic fingerprinting kits to fight the illegal wildlife trade.

The kits, specially designed to lift fingerprints from ivory, have been donated by IFAW and will be distributed to countries attending the upcoming London Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in October.

The new fingerprinting technique, developed by the Metropolitan Police and King’s College London, can reveal prints up to 28 days after poachers have touched the ivory, compared to the two or three days with current conventional powders. This will significantly increase the chances of identifying the criminals behind the illegal ivory trade.

The innovative technology will be used by law enforcement agencies around the world to test illegally traded wildlife products for fingerprints and bring criminals to justice. The Foreign Office has been working with IFAW to build links with priority countries and to share training and expertise with local law enforcement officers and rangers.

Foreign Office Minister Mark Field said:

These new fingerprinting kits are a fantastic example of British innovation and technology being used by law enforcement agencies around the world to put criminals involved in the illegal wildlife trade behind bars. The Foreign Office and IFAW have partnered up to distribute kits and boost training for rangers and police in countries in Africa and Asia already, and we hope these additional kits will be put to good use by those countries who will pledge to take action at our upcoming conference.

The illegal wildlife trade is devastating endangered species populations around the world, from the African elephant to the Asian pangolin. This is a serious organised crime, depriving local communities of sustainable livelihoods and lining the pockets of corrupt middlemen and criminal gangs. We must act now if we are to stop it in its tracks and save endangered species before it is too late.

These kits are already making a real difference in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade. When the original trial kit was put into use in Kenya, it helped to secure evidence in four cases, which ultimately resulted in 15 arrests, including five police officers, and the seizure of 11 elephant tusks and 50 pieces of worked ivory.

Philip Mansbridge, UK Director at IFAW, said:

These pioneering ivory fingerprinting kits will aid wildlife crime investigators on the frontline in Africa and Asia, providing them with an additional tool in their vital work to catch elephant poachers, thus helping to safeguard elephants and other threatened wildlife from poaching for future generations.

This ground-breaking new method of fingerprinting ivory uses a small-scale magnetic powder, meaning it is now possible to detect fingerprints on an elephant’s tusk for up to a month after it has been handled, as opposed to just 24-48 hours using traditional techniques.

Working with Kings College and the Metropolitan Police, IFAW has so far deployed around 100 ivory fingerprinting kits in 23 countries to help gather evidence to stop elephant poachers. This is just one part of IFAW’s global efforts to protect elephants and the places they call home. We are grateful to the Rt. Hon Mark Field MP and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for helping us showcase and distribute these kits to attendees of the upcoming London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade in October.

Notes to editors

• The ivory fingerprinting kit was researched and developed by the Metropolitan Police Forensic Imaging Team and Fingerprinting Department and also with Dr Leon Barron from the Forensic Department at King’s College London, so is a London based partnership between the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the Metropolitan Police and King’s College London.
• The success of the new kit relies on the reduction in size of the powder used, which requires less sweat residue for the powder to adhere to and enhances the marks, giving better definition. It is also inert and allows DNA samples to be taken from the fingerprints and could become a vital tool in stopping the illegal wildlife trade. Further tests have shown it also works on hippo ivory, polished rhino horn, lion and tiger teeth and claws and even pangolin scales.
• The illegal wildlife trade is a serious organised crime with revenues worth up to £17bn a year, more than the combined income of the Central African Republic, Liberia and Burundi.
• Around 20,000 African elephants are killed by poachers each year. Savanna elephant numbers have declined by a third from 2007 to 2014 and over 1,000 rhinos were poached in South Africa last year alone. Wildlife in many parts of Africa is at crisis levels.
• The UK will be hosting a conference on 11-12 October this year, bringing together leaders from both supply and demand countries so we can work together to stamp out the illegal wildlife trade for good. The conference will agree action to tackle IWT across three broad themes:
  • Tackling IWT as a serious organised crime, including increasing collaboration across continents to tackle IWT-associated illicit financial flows and corruption;
  • Building coalitions, particularly through increased engagement with the private sector, NGOs and academia, and;
  • Closing markets, by sharing successful approaches for reducing the demand for illegal wildlife products, including ivory.

Further information

Britain’s unemployment rate has not been lower since the mid-1970s, as official figures released by the Office for National Statistics show it’s fallen to 4.0%, with 1.15 million fewer unemployed people since 2010.

The UK saw a sixth continuous month of real terms pay increases, with regular wages up by 2.9% in July, or 0.5% against CPIH inflation.

Meanwhile the employment rate remains high, at 75.5%, with over 3.3 million more people in work since 2010 and youth unemployment at a record low, falling by over 45% since 2010.

1.45 million more children are living in a home with all adults in work, and the proportion of children living in a household with no working adults has fallen by 33% in the UK since 2010, reaching a record low and taking tens of thousands of children out of poverty.

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Esther McVey, said:

Since 2010 we have delivered significant growth in jobs, and in the last 6 months we’ve seen real terms wage growth.

We haven’t had a lower unemployment rate for over 40 years and I’m especially proud that youth unemployment is at a record low, falling by over 45% since 2010 – opening up career opportunities for our next generation.

In the EU we see unemployment rates over double those of the UK. This government is transforming this country into a great working nation. Ready and prepared for the future challenges after Brexit.

Minister of State for Employment Alok Sharma said:

With unemployment rate still at its lowest level in 43 years, it is good to see that for the sixth month in a row wages have grown faster than inflation helping to put more money in people’s pockets. In the last quarter regular pay is up by 2.9%, 0.5% above inflation.

Households across the country are benefiting from the security of being in work, and with increasing wages and GDP growth of 0.6% last quarter we are delivering an economy that supports working people.

We’ve taken millions out of paying income tax altogether, and by raising the National Living Wage have helped deliver the fastest pay rise for the lowest earners in 20 years.

Today’s (11 September 2018) figures also show:

• older workers also continue to find work as the number of workers aged 50 and over is at a record high of 10.25 million
• the female employment rate remains at a near record high at 71.0%
• since 2010, the vast majority of jobs have been in full-time, permanent roles
• since 2010, there has been an increase of 3.75 million in private sector jobs

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