YORK scored a hat trick at this year’s National Apprenticeship Awards with a trio of firms, organisations and apprentices winning titles.

Nestlé UK Ltd, the North York Moors National Park Authority and apprentice Joseph Turton, from The Food and Environmental Research Agency, all picked up regional awards.

The ceremony, hosted by the National Apprenticeship Service, was held at the Leeds College of Music this week.

Nestlé UK was named Macro Employer Of The Year, the North York Moors National Park authority won Medium Employer Of The Year, and Joseph Turton was crowned Advanced Apprentice Of The Year.

Further afield Natasha Pitts, from Dale Power Solutions in Scarborough, won Higher Apprentice Of The Year.

Lauren Macdonald, spokesman for Nestlé UK, said: “We’re delighted with this award. Apprenticeships are a key way of strengthening our talent pipeline for the future.”

Ian Nicholls, spokesman for the North York Moors National Park Authority said: “This award is the icing on the cake as we have been investing in apprenticeships since 2002. We see them as vital to our flourishing as an organisation as well as helping young people develop skills that enable them to live and work in our area.”

This year the awards received more than 1,600 entrants, with regional winners now proceeding to a final judging stage.

The national award winners will be announced at The Skills Show, at the NEC in Birmingham on November 14.