The winners of the Scottish Modern Apprenticeship Awards 2007 were announced at a prestigious awards ceremony at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh hosted by television star Stephen Jardine.

Among those honoured was a 26-year-old from Inverness who quit his career as a designer in London to start a Modern Apprenticeship as a joiner in the Highlands and a young call centre worker who was determined that a serious car crash wouldn’t affect her Modern Apprenticeship in Customer Service.

Modern Apprenticeships combine paid employment with the opportunity to train for jobs at craft, technician and management level. In Scotland they are managed by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Note: The responsibility for the national training programmes, including Modern Apprenticeships, transferred from Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to Skills Development Scotland on 1 April 2008

The Scottish Modern Apprenticeship Awards 2007 are a celebration of the high standards being achieved by the many apprentices, employers, training providers and colleges involved in Modern Apprenticeships.

This year's winners were congratulated by the Minister for Schools and Skills, Maureen Watt, in front of an audience of 400 guests from across the Scottish business community.

Jack Perry, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, said: "Modern Apprenticeships play a key role in improving the skills of our workforce, benefiting both young people and businesses in Scotland, and ultimately having a positive effect on the future of the Scottish economy.

"All the finalists should be congratulated on the significant commitment they have made to the MA programme and the strides they have made in their personal and business development.

"Following last week's announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, Scottish Enterprise's role in delivering MAs will transfer to the new Skills body. We will continue to work to ensure that MAs not only fulfill the aspiration of those taking the qualification but are ever more responsive to the demands of employers."

Alex Paterson, HIE Director of Regional Competitiveness, congratulated all the winners on their achievements and their commitment to the MA programme.

He said: "Modern Apprenticeships play a vital role in the Scottish economy by offering people the chance to work in a real job, earning a decent wage, while learning a skill and gaining a recognised qualification.

"Thousands of individuals and employers across the country have benefited from the programme and we look forward to building on this success in the years to come."

The Scottish Modern Apprenticeship Awards 2007 are sponsored by the Daily Record, Sunday Mail, learndirect Scotland for business and City and Guilds and Skills for Business Network.

This year’s winners were congratulated by the Minister for Schools and Skills, Maureen Watt, in front of an audience of 400 guests from across the Scottish business community at a prestigious ceremony held at the Sheraton Hotel in Edinburgh on 4 October.

These apprentices and organisations won the category awards in the 2007 Modern Apprenticeships Awards:

• Training Provider
  Forth Valley College, Falkirk
• Partnership
  Lauder College with Havelock Europa plc and FFINTO Ltd
• Employer (small)
  Mardon Project Services Ltd, Bathgate
• Employer (large)
  Sky, Dunfermline, Fife
• Apprentice of the Year Non Traditional Sector 16-19
  Stephen Kirk, BT plc, Glasgow
• Apprentice of the Year Non Traditional Sector 20+
  Winner: Karen McAvoy, Renfrewshire Council, Paisley
• Apprentice of the Year Traditional Sector 16-19
  Lorraine Clark, Fife Council, Glenrothes
• Apprentice of the Year Traditional Sector 20+
  Ewan Buxton, GD Gray Ltd, Carrbridge, Inverness-shire
• Overall Achievement Award
  Lorraine Clark went on to win the Overall Achievement award in recognition of her success in working in a competitive environment, the skills which she has developed and her can-do attitude and commitment.