On Thursday 9th October, Alliance Learning proudly hosted its Annual Awards Evening at Horwich RMI, celebrating the outstanding achievements of apprentices, employers, and staff who have demonstrated excellence and dedication throughout the year.

The event brought together learners, employers, and community partners for an inspiring evening of recognition and celebration. Special guests included the Mayor of Horwich, Gary Bradshaw from MBDA, Liam Sloan from Bolton College, and Lynda Farrell from the University of Greater Manchester, who all joined in recognising the incredible accomplishments of those involved in apprenticeships and work-based learning.

Alliance Learning Chief Executive Officer, Dave Haslam, hosted the ceremony this year and presented the awards for each of the 19 categories on the night. The evening also consisted of two guest speakers:

- Gary Bradshaw of MBDA UK Ltd who shared how Apprenticeships are having a positive impact at MBDA UK Ltd,

- Matthew Widdowson of IOSH who shared the importance of Social Sustainability, and how educating employees through the Managing Sustainably course is relevant.

The highlight of the awards evening is the much coveted overall 'Apprentice of the Year’ award. The prestigious Award aims to recognise the exceptional commitment to their training programme throughout the last year from the Apprentice of the Year winners.

This year the award was won by Zafeerah Bagas, from William Hare.

During the ceremony Zafeerah was described as a confident welder with a strong commitment and enthusiasm to their career in welding, who has produced work of a high standard in the workshop..

Other winners on the night included:

Junior Professional (sponsored by Specialist Switchgear) Apprentice of the Year 2024-2025

Aliyah Javid of Bolton Community Practice

Business Management Apprentice of the Year 2024-2025

Robert Gray of University of Greater Manchester

Engineering Fitter (sponsored by EAL) Apprentice of the Year 2024-2025

Joe Kirkman of MBDA

Mechatronics (sponsored by EAL) Apprentice of the Year 2024-2025

Kai Derbyshire of William Hare

Metal Fabricator (sponsored by GMLPN) Apprentice of the Year 2024-2025

Zafeerah Bagas of William Hare

Maintenance Operations Engineering Technician (sponsored by Howorth Air Tech) Apprentice of the Year 2024-2025

Joe Jarvis of Seddon

Junior Professional Rising Star 2024-2025

Lydia Collins of Suez

Business Management Rising Star 2024-2025

Marina Brown of Oldham Council

Machinist Rising Star 2024-2025

Neekoo Shahabi of Velden

Metal Fabricator Rising Star 2024-2025

Emmerson Aspinall of Pure Fabs

Engineering Fitter Rising Star 2024-2025

Hussein Patel of MBDA

Mechatronics Rising Star 2024-2025

Joel Jennings of Menard

Maintenance Operations Engineering Technician Rising Star 2024-2025

Daniel Brewder of Muller

Engineering Operative Rising Star 2024-2025

Joe McCauley of APMG

Engineering Design Technician Rising Star 2024-2025

Alex Walmsley of JCH Draughting Ltd

Resilience Award

Ryan Wraxall of TfGM

Company Award for Training & Development 2024-2025

Vernacare

Employee of the Year 2024-2025

Megan Clough

Apprentice of the Year 2024-2025

Zafeerah Bagas of William Hare

Dave Haslam, CEO of Alliance Learning, expressed his pride in the evening’s success:

“Our Awards Evening is always a highlight of the year. It gives us the opportunity to celebrate the fantastic achievements of our learners and the employers who continue to support apprenticeship training. Their dedication and hard work are a true reflection of what Alliance Learning stands for – inspiring people and changing lives through learning.”

Jenny Karling, Marketing Coordinator, added:

“The atmosphere on the night was fantastic, and it was wonderful to see so many learners, employers, and guests come together to celebrate success. Events like this remind us of the impact apprenticeships have, not just on individuals, but on our wider community.”

Alliance Learning would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to this year’s generous sponsors: MBDA, GMLPN, Howorth Air Tech, Specialist Switchgear, and EAL.

Their continued support helps make this event possible and ensures that the achievements of local learners and employers are recognised in the best possible way.

The evening was a true celebration of success, showcasing the power of partnership, opportunity, and lifelong learning that continues to thrive at Alliance Learning.

Published 15 October 2025