An ingenious apprentice has been paid a major compliment

An ingenious apprentice has been paid a major compliment after being shortlisted for a well-respected business award.

Zoe Chatfield, from RecruitmentGenius.com, has been announced as a finalist in the Kent Excellence in Business Awards (KEiBA), 'Apprenticeship of the Year' category.

The accolade acknowledges and celebrates apprentices' exceptional contribution in the workplace. The judges for the category are on the lookout for apprentices that make a real difference in the organisation they are a part of.

RecruitmentGenius.com has enjoyed welcoming apprentices to its business since July 2010. The online recruitment specialist is dedicated to helping jobseekers to find employment, by making it as affordable as possible for employers to recruit staff.

Chief Executive, Geoff Newman commented: "Zoe fully deserves to be a finalist for this award. She has always been very motivated and keen to learn, making her a valuable asset to our firm. I would not hesitate to recommend apprenticeships to businesses; it is both personally rewarding and makes excellent commercial sense."

Having apprentices within the business has proven invaluable for RecruitmentGenius.com. Excluding directors, three of the firm's five employees are apprentices, bringing fresh thinking and talent to the business.

Commenting on her apprenticeship, Zoe said: "This opportunity at RecruitmentGenius.com has been such a good decision, helping me with both my education and work experience. I am now much more confident; I never thought I would be able to do so much within eight months. It's been a real pleasure."

Zoe is now eagerly awaiting the KEiBA ceremony on 30 June, at Leas Cliff Hall, in Folkestone, where the winner of the 'Apprenticeship of the Year'will be announced.