Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards to take place in May

Celebrating the achievements of apprentices, employers and advocates, the awards will be held on Thursday, May 21 at the recently opened Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities.

Thirty finalists across 10 categories will compete for the titles, including the prestigious Apprentice of the Year Award.

Helen Brind, director of business and skills at Enterprise Oxfordshire, said: “We’re really looking forward to celebrating the 10th annual Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards next week – a real chance to celebrate a decade of showcasing the talent that apprenticeships provide a platform for.”

“Over the last ten years we have recognised hundreds of the county’s apprentices and apprenticeship champions, and we are looking forward to finding out where those talented individuals are now – as well as crowning a current cohort of brilliant individuals who have chosen the apprenticeship pathway.”

“At Enterprise Oxfordshire we remain as committed to recognising apprenticeship talent as we were when we first launched the awards 10 years ago – and we will continue to support our business community to unlock vital opportunities to utilise these, such as through initiatives surrounding the new Growth and Skills Levy.”

Ms Brind added that she hopes everyone attending receives ‘the recognition they so deserve’.

“As ever are continually grateful to our business supporters and sponsors that allow the event to take place,” she said.

Organised by Enterprise Oxfordshire (formerly OxLEP), the ceremony will not only honour apprentices but also those who support and promote apprenticeship programmes.

Categories include Skills Champion and Training Provider Individual, which recognise those who go above and beyond to encourage and guide apprentices.

Finalists represent a broad range of sectors across Oxfordshire, including engineering, manufacturing, health and social care, digital, education, hospitality, energy, logistics, the creative industries and the public sector.

Since the awards began in 2017, more than 800 entries have been submitted, representing around 230 employers and 110 training providers.

This tenth anniversary year will see a total of 116 winners announced, with 320 awards being given out in total to winners and highly commended finalists since the awards began.

Through its Apprenticeship Levy Support Scheme, Enterprise Oxfordshire has helped secure £6.6 million in levy funding, supported 551 apprenticeship and learner starts, and assisted 276 employers in accessing the scheme.

Last year’s awards were held at Blenheim Palace’s Long Library.

The overall Apprentice of the Year title was awarded to Imani D’Amore, an apprentice youth support worker at Oxfordshire County Council.