A CHESHIRE woman has received a top accolade in this year's National Apprenticeship Awards.

Emilia Hoyle, from Frodsham-based Heat Trace Limited, has won the Lloyds Banking Group Award for Rising Star of the Year in the National Apprenticeship Awards 2019.

The ceremony was held on November 27 in London. Emilia, from Manley, won the top honour, ahead of finalists from eight other English regions, following a series of regional ceremonies across the country in September.

The Rising Star Award seeks to recognise impressive career progression to date and the potential to go even further.

Whilst still completing her degree apprenticeship, Emilia has already risen to the position of marketing manager at Heat Trace, a successful high growth manufacturing company.

Emilia joined Heat Trace Limited in 2014 initially on a Level 4 NVQ Business Administration Apprenticeship working in the marketing department.

In 2016, Emilia started a degree apprenticeship at the University of Chester and was promoted to marketing assistant. This year, Emilia was promoted to marketing manager and now manages a department.

Heat Trace Limited is an innovative British manufacturer of electric heat tracing cables and associated equipment.

The company started an apprentice program in 2011 in order to introduce young talent and grow their own "managers of the future".

This has proved very successful and a number of apprentices have won local awards over the last five years, with Emilia's latest award being the most prestigious to date.

Outside Emilia's day job, she is vice-chair of the North West Young Apprentice Ambassador Network and enthusiastically promotes Heat Trace's apprenticeship scheme and proactively seeks opportunities to promote apprenticeships in schools.

She said: "I am delighted to be crowned the winner of the Lloyds Banking Group Award for Rising Star of the Year at the National Apprenticeship Awards 2019.

"It is great that my achievements have been recognised at a national level. I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity and for all the help and support from my colleagues at Heat Trace.

"I would like to thank everyone that voted for me in the public vote. This award is the icing on the cake!"

Now in their 16th year, the National Apprenticeship Awards showcase the diverse and growing range of sectors engaged with apprenticeships, whilst celebrating the achievements of outstanding apprentices, apprentice employers and individuals to inspire others to follow in their footsteps and champion apprenticeships across England.