{"id":41437,"date":"2026-02-06T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocs.com\/uk\/?p=41437"},"modified":"2026-02-16T18:21:54","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T18:21:54","slug":"apprentice-of-the-year-awards-2025-meet-the-finalists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocs.com\/uk\/news\/apprentice-of-the-year-awards-2025-meet-the-finalists\/","title":{"rendered":"Apprentice of the Year Awards 2025: Meet the Finalists"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Everyday Contribution, Real Responsibility<\/h3>\n

Across OCS, apprentices play an active role in delivering services every day. They support live operations, learn on the job, and take on real responsibility from the outset, often balancing practical work with formal study. Their contribution is visible across sites across the business and felt by the colleagues and customers they work alongside.<\/p>\n

The OCS Apprentice of the Year Awards recognise this contribution. They celebrate apprentices who demonstrate commitment to learning, consistency in their work, and confidence in applying their skills in real-world settings. The awards highlight progress over time, acknowledging both professional development and the positive impact apprentices have in their roles.<\/p>\n

Each nomination reflects day-to-day performance. It considers how apprentices approach responsibility, work safely and reliably, support their teams, and respond to the challenges of operating environments. Judges assess how learning is applied in practice, how apprentices engage with colleagues, and how they contribute to service delivery that customers can rely on.<\/p>\n

One Programme, Many Journeys<\/h3>\n

The awards bring together finalists from across services, locations, and stages of their apprenticeship journey. Although their roles differ, they share a strong work ethic, a willingness to learn, and pride in doing the job well. Their stories reflect the reality of apprenticeship life at OCS, grounded in experience, teamwork, and steady progress.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s meet our 2025 Apprentice of the Year finalists. Select a finalist\u2019s profile to find out more about them:<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n
\n \n \n \n \"A\n <\/picture>\n\n
\n

Daniel Mallender<\/h4>\n

Area Manager (Cleaning Sector)
\nLearn More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n \n \n \n \"A\n <\/picture>\n\n
\n

Adam March<\/h4>\n

Account Director (Hard Services)
\nLearn More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n
\n \n \n \n \"A\n <\/picture>\n\n
\n

Emma Dyer<\/h4>\n

HR Operations Partner (Corporate)
\nLearn More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n \n \n \n \"A\n <\/picture>\n\n
\n

Hailey Lewis<\/h4>\n

Contract Support Manager (Security)
\nLearn More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n
\n \n \n \n \"A\n <\/picture>\n\n
\n

Jack Brant<\/h4>\n

Building Services Apprentice (Hard Services)
\nLearn More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n \n \n \n \"A\n <\/picture>\n\n
\n

Lucy Osgerby<\/h4>\n

Relief Chef Manager (Catering)
\nLearn More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n
\n \n \n \n \"A\n <\/picture>\n\n
\n

Maria Rivera-Loaiza<\/h4>\n

Front of House (Public Sector)
\nLearn More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n \n \n \n \"A\n <\/picture>\n\n
\n

Mary Nkrumah<\/h4>\n

Housekeeping Operative (Private Sector)
\nLearn More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n
\n \n \n \n \"A\n <\/picture>\n\n
\n

Mohammed Arif<\/h4>\n

Court & Tribunal Security Supervisor (Public Sector)
\nLearn More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n \n \n \n \"A\n <\/picture>\n\n
\n

Nathan Mackey<\/h4>\n

Security Site Lead (Public Sector)
\nLearn More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n
\n \n \n \n \"A\n <\/picture>\n\n
\n

Robert Cullen<\/h4>\n

Projects & Operations Lead (Hard Services)
\nLearn More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n \n \n \n \"A\n <\/picture>\n\n
\n

Ryan Billing<\/h4>\n

Chef (Public Sector)
\nLearn More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n
\n \n \n \n \"A\n <\/picture>\n\n
\n

Ryan Thorburn<\/h4>\n

Cleaning Supervisor (Private Sector)
\nLearn More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n \n \n \n \"A\n <\/picture>\n\n
\n

Samuel Smith<\/h4>\n

Security Officer (Security)
\nLearn More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n
\n \n \n \n \"A\n <\/picture>\n\n
\n

Sulayman Zaman<\/h4>\n

Court Security Supervisor (Public Sector)
\nLearn More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n \n \n \n \"A\n <\/picture>\n\n
\n

William Ford<\/h4>\n

Apprentice Electrician (Hard Services)
\nLearn More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n
\n \n \n \"Apprenticeships,\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n

\n Apprenticeships, Funded Learning and Career Pathways at OCS <\/h2>\n \n\n Learn More <\/a> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Meet the finalists of the OCS Apprentice of the Year Awards 2025, recognising learning in practice and real contribution across the business.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":10000025918,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48,323],"tags":[49,235],"country":[237,262,405,267],"class_list":["post-41437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-awards","category-careers","tag-awards","tag-careers","country-ireland","country-northern-ireland","country-scotland","country-uk"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nApprentice of the Year Awards 2025 - OCS - UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Meet the finalists of the OCS Apprentice of the Year Awards 2025, recognising learning in practice and real contribution across the business.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ocs.com\/uk\/news\/apprentice-of-the-year-awards-2025-meet-the-finalists\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Apprentice of the Year Awards 2025: Meet the Finalists\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Meet the finalists of the OCS Apprentice of the Year Awards 2025, recognising learning in practice and real contribution across the business.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ocs.com\/uk\/news\/apprentice-of-the-year-awards-2025-meet-the-finalists\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"OCS - 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