South Hampshire College Group have been recognised in the 2025 Hampshire Business Awards with nominations in the ‘Apprentice of the Year’ and the ‘Best Place to Work’ categories.
The Apprentice of the Year nomination is for engineering apprentice Katie Cumming in recognition of her outstanding skills development, workplace contributions and achievements. The Best Place to Work nomination is in recognition of the positive workplace culture at South Hampshire College Group, which fosters engagement, wellbeing and satisfaction.
The Hampshire Business Awards are a dedicated celebration of the very best businesses and working professionals within the Hampshire community. Now in its third year, the event will treat guests to a special gala evening, three-course dinner and conversation with industry leaders.
Louise Mortimer, Director of HR, Payroll and Recruitment at South Hampshire College Group, commented on the Best Place to Work shortlisting: “To be recognised as a finalist in the Best Place to Work category is truly a great honour and achievement for us to share. We are proud to celebrate this nomination with all of our colleagues across the group who contribute to our inclusive, aspirational and collaborative culture each and every day. We’re proud to have launched some incredible initiatives to champion employee wellbeing, including our South Hampshire College Group Wellbeing Commitment, a dedicated wellbeing day and annual staff awards to celebrate both individual and team achievements throughout the year.”
Joe Bourke, Katie’s Manager at STS Defence, commented: “From the outset of her apprenticeship, Katie has demonstrated a level of professionalism, curiosity, and work ethic well beyond her experience. She consistently shows a strong willingness to learn, asking thoughtful questions and actively seeking feedback to improve her skills. Her personal and professional development over the course of the apprenticeship has been fantastic, it’s been great to see Katie develop and grow in maturity from starting her apprenticeship at 16. Her achievements so far are a strong indicator of a bright future, and I believe she is a truly deserving candidate for the Apprentice of the Year award.”
This latest development caps off a busy start to the 25/26 academic year full of awards recognition for South Hampshire College Group, including a special presentation for our Hair and Beauty Apprentice Katie in the VTCT Awards, a triple shortlisting in the Portsmouth and Chichester Apprenticeship Awards and a ‘Highly Commended’ accolade in the Digital Education Awards. This is also the second consecutive year in which the College Group has been shortlisted in the Hampshire Business Awards.
The 2025 Hampshire Business Awards ceremony will take place on Thursday 20 November 2025 at the Old Thorns Hotel & Resort in Liphook.
