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House of Lords award for NewVoiceMedia apprentice

Brandon Read, IT assistant at NewVoiceMedia, was honoured as a top performing apprentice at a House of Lords reception last week.

The prestigious event, staged by West Nottinghamshire College Group, saw Brandon presented with a trophy and certificate by Andrew Jones MP, Apprenticeships Ambassador in Parliament.

Held on Wednesday 5 June in the historic building's Cholmondeley Room and Terrace, the reception celebrated the success of the Mansfield college group's apprenticeship scheme and acknowledged the hard work and commitment of apprentices and their employers. Brandon was amongst 30 apprentices in attendance, selected from its crop of 12,000 across the country, in recognition of his contribution to NewVoiceMedia, a leading provider of cloud contact centre solutions. He was offered a role at the company's Hampshire headquarters following a nine-month advanced apprenticeship in 'IT, Software, Web & Telecoms Professionals' after completing his training through Vision Workforce Skills, a subsidiary of the college group.

The event was hosted by Baroness Prashar CBE, a cross-bench peer who has led several public and voluntary organisations. Guest speaker was Skills Minister Matthew Hancock MP, and other guests included Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin MP, senior figures from the further education and skills sector, and representatives of partner organisations.

Graham Howe, managing director of Vision Workforce Skills, said: "The House of Lords was the perfect place to celebrate the successes and outstanding achievements of our top-performing apprentices, as well as say thank you to their employers for giving them such a wonderful opportunity.

"Brandon has made an enormous contribution to NewVoiceMedia and is deserving of this high-profile recognition.

"We hope this event and Brandon's success inspires other young people and employers to consider the benefits that apprenticeships bring to individuals and businesses," he added.

Brandon commented, "I was delighted to be selected for this award and it was a real privilege to visit the House of Lords for what was a very memorable day. The apprenticeship scheme offered a great mix of on-the-job training and classroom-based learning, and I was very pleased to be offered a role at NewVoiceMedia to start my career in the industry."

Gary Lane, Director of HR and Recruitment at NewVoiceMedia, said: "Brandon has been such an asset to NewVoiceMedia, bringing lots of enthusiasm and fresh new ideas to his role. We are thrilled that he's been formally recognised for his hard work and contribution to the business, in such an exciting way."

Andrew Jones MP added, "The stories we heard about each individual winner was truly inspiring and an indication of the enormous amount of work and creativity taking place across many different sectors, which is a tribute to all the individuals concerned."