A College of West Anglia student has beaten 400 other nominees to be named Apprentice of the Year at a national care awards ceremony.
Carly Walden, a 17-year-old apprentice from Terrington St Clement, was shortlisted in The National Care Awards 2016 as an outstanding support staff member within the care sector.
She said: “I didnt expect to win and I dont think it has really sunk in yet.
“The other contestants were lovely and the whole event is still a bit of a blur from the moment they called my name on stage.”
Along with three other national candidates, she was invited to London in November for an awards night.
Miss Walden works as an apprentice at Kimberley Care Village, in Long Sutton, which specialises in elderly care, dementia care and respite. Care home manager Nadine Vail, who nominated Carly for the award, said: “I was so happy that I lost my voice from cheering. This is the only recognised awards ceremony in the care sector so is a really big deal.
“We were up against some big name contenders in the care world, such as Barchester Healthcare and Four Seasons, and Carly outshone them all. “Its absolutely brilliant and we are all so proud of her. She’s a credit to us.”
Clare Field, Carly’s training and assessment coordinator at CWA, said: “Carly’s success really reflects her work ethic. She has only been at Kimberley Care Village for a year and is quite a quiet person and not competitive at all, so to win an award like this is so inspirational for other apprentices at CWA.”
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