2 min read • published in partnership with ERIKS
ERIKS holds 2025 annual apprentice awards
ERIKS has held its annual apprentice awards at its Fulfilment Centre of Expertise (FCE) in Oldbury, West Midlands. The event celebrates the achievements of the company’s apprentices across the UK and Ireland, recognising a wide range of elements, including college performance, professional and personal development, as well as feedback from their managers and peers.
There are four main award categories – 1st Year Apprentice of the Year, 2nd Year Apprentice of the Year, Apprentice of the Year and Most Improved Apprentice and the awards come with cash prizes up to £250.
The winner of the 2025 Apprentice of the Year award was Taylor-Mae Arkinstall from the Leeds service centre. Lori Broadhurst, talent development partner at ERIKS, said: “Taylor won this award for her outstanding dedication and contribution during the first year of her apprenticeship. She joined the business with no engineering experience whatsoever, but during her first 12 months she has taken all opportunities with both hands to develop herself professionally, personally and academically.”
Taylor-Mae Arkinstall (R) and ERIKS CEO Pamela Bingham (L) / Picture: ERIKS
The 1st Year Apprentice award was won by Sam Miah, who works at the Flow Control Technology Centre in Leicestershire, with Jeremy Aitken from the Norwich service centre winning the 2nd Year award. Sam Miah said: “This is a great award to win as it’s a mark of recognition from my peers that I am doing a good job, and I love being able to network and socialise with my fellow apprentices when we go to college.”
The final major award category is the Most Improved Apprentice, and this was won by Megan Henry of the Southampton service centre. Commenting on their win, Lori Broadhurst said, “Megan had no engineering experience prior to joining ERIKS, but her confidence has grown significantly during the first 12 months of her journey, which has been recognised by her peers and management at all levels.”
Lori Broadhurst (L), Megan Henry (C) and Ashleigh Rosser (R) / Picture: ERIKS
The annual apprentice awards are part of a full day of workshops and activities for the apprentices at the FCE in Oldbury, but there are some fun categories, voted for by the apprentices themselves, such as Duo of the Year, Agony Aunt, Know It All, Social Media King or Queen and Most Embarrassing Moment. Plus, as Lori says, “we do like to spoil them with a slap-up lunch too, so it’s not all work, work, work.”
The ERIKS apprentice programme now has 42 people and has just welcomed its third year of students. The 2025 intake represents several firsts, such as the Dublin service centre recruiting a sales apprentice and the first school leaver joining the programme, as Lori explains: “It’s key to highlight that this year we’ve got more under 18s. Previously, the age of people joining us was between 20 and 22, but this year we’ve got our first 16 year old joining, and we’ve got a couple of 17 year olds as well. In my mind, these are ‘proper apprentices’ because they’ve just left school, they’ve done their GCSEs, and they’re going straight into the workplace. It’s going to be exciting to follow their journey.”
More information on the ERIKS apprenticeship scheme can be found here.
