Two women at the University Hospital of South Manchester have been honoured for their dedication to healthcare and improving their employability at the North West Adult Learners’ Week Awards in Health and Care 2016.

Olivia Lingard was named Apprentice of the Year and Anna Kwiatek was named Volunteer of the Year at the ceremony.

They were chosen by a team of expert judges led by the Health Education England (HEE), the workforce development arm of the NHS, who came together to review and deliberate over award nominations drawn from across the region’s health and care sector.

The judges consisted of senior health and care staff and for the first time ever an expert panel made up of patients, carers and the public.

Mum-of-one Olivia, 17, has been an apprentice at UHSM for a year and wants to be a nurse but undertook an apprenticeship in administration to get her foot in the door.

Olivia said: “I am proud of what I have achieved. This training has made me realise as a person who I am and what I really want in life.”

• Una Farrell, Olivia’s QCF Assessment Officer: “Olivia is an outstanding ambassador for future apprentices recruited from local schools.”
• Claudine Williams, QCF Assessment Officer at UHSM who nominated Anna: “The NHS has invested in Anna and she has given 200 per cent back.”

Anna Kwiatek, who is originally from Poland, has always wanted to work in a caring profession, but had only ever had clerical experience prior to embarking on her apprenticeship in pathology at UHSM.

Anna, 36, who has now secured employment as a trainee assistant practitioner, said: “I feel so excited to get this award and am so proud of myself.”

Janet Wilkinson, Director of Human Resources, Organisational Development and Education at UHSM, said: “We are overjoyed that Olivia and Anna’s contribution to UHSM and the wider NHS has been recognised.

“Undertaking an apprenticeship at UHSM is a rewarding experience and can open the doors for young people to gain a foothold in the career of their choice.”