The seventh annual Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards will once again shine a spotlight on our county’s apprentices - and the businesses and organisations, training providers and schools that support their journey - recognising the huge contribution they make to our county’s economy at a special awards ceremony on Thursday 18 May 2023 at Williams F1 Conference Centre.
We're delighted to introduce The Engineering Trust as sponsor of the Careers Champion Award, a new category for 2022 which will recognise careers colleagues in local secondary schools and colleges who make a significant contribution to promoting apprenticeships to students and their parents/guardians as part of a wide ranging and inclusive careers programme.
Here, Mark Vingoe, CEO of The Engineering Trust, explains why the Trust has chosen to sponsor this Award and what apprenticeships mean to them.
Why are you supporting the Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards and why you have chosen to sponsor your particular category?
The Engineering Trust was set up as a registered Charity in 1983 by a group of engineering employers based in Oxfordshire with the goal of promoting careers in engineering and manufacturing.
Much of the work done by the charity is in schools and colleges, working with career advisors and teachers to promote engineering & manufacturing as a career and providing information about the routes into the industry, specifically via apprenticeships. We also run STEM summer courses for children aged 8-13, to further promote engineering and inspire children to explore the subject through school years and choose it as a career in the future.
The Careers Champion Award fits well with the work we do and is a fantastic opportunity for us to recognise the hard work of the people who provide information, advice, and guidance to those trying to find the next step in their education and/or career.
What are you looking for in the winner of your category?
We’re looking for someone who listens to and tailors their guidance to each person they advise. They need to show a great knowledge of all career routes available and be able to demonstrate a wider understanding of the business landscape in Oxfordshire, plus the career opportunities that are available. They need to have the enthusiasm and drive to help everyone they advise find their next step - one that is right for them. They should be able to give examples of who and how they have helped people find the right career.
What would you say to anyone thinking about entering or nominating?
There is a lot of splendid work already being done by some hard working and dedicated people within a whole range of organisations. Those who give brilliant advice and guidance are notoriously bad at celebrating their own success and they should be valued and recognised as a ‘Careers Champion.’ Such individuals just see it as ‘part of their job’ when in fact, they have a profound impact steering people into a career that sets them up for life. If you are that person, put your hand up and enter yourself. If you know that person, then nominate them as they probably just think ‘it’s just what I do’.
Tell us about your organisation’s experience of Apprenticeships
The Engineering Trust continues to strive to fulfil its original goal both in the work it undertakes directly as a charitable organisation and through its subsidiary company Engineering Trust Training Ltd that delivers engineering and manufacturing apprenticeships in Oxfordshire and surrounding counties. Our training facility, The Engineering Skills Academy recently opened in Bicester, it focusses on further enhancing the quality of our apprenticeship delivery and offers local employers a provision dedicated to training their existing and future workforce.
About the Awards
The awards will be open for entries and nominations until midnight on the evening of Friday 17 February 2023. Finalists will be announced during Oxfordshire Apprenticeships Hour (hashtag #OAHour) on Twitter @OxonApprentice from 13:00 on Thursday 20 April 2023. Winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony on Thursday 18 May 2023.
Visit our Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards 2023 page
If you would like the opportunity to support the Awards, please get in touch.
Join us for Oxfordshire Apprenticeships Hour (#OAHour) on Twitter @OxonApprentice from 13:00 every Thursday for latest on the Awards and join in the conversation using the hashtag #OAAwards2023.
