We're delighted to introduce Oxfordshire County Council as a supporter of the Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards 2022. Oxfordshire County Council is the local authority for Oxfordshire, committed to delivering top quality services and value for money on behalf of the county's 600,000+ residents.
Find out why the council has chosen to be a supporter of the Awards and what apprenticeships mean to them.
Tell us why you're suppoting the Oxfordshire Apprentieship Awards.
The Apprenticeship Awards are a great opportunity for employers to celebrate Apprentices and recognise the people who work hard to make them happen.Over the past few years, the council has done amazingly well and come away with several trophies from these awards including ‘large employer of the year’.
What is your organisations experience with Apprenticeships?
Oxfordshire County Council is one of the largest employers in Oxfordshire, with over 5,000 employees working in a wide variety of services including Fire and Rescue, Social Care, Engineering, Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Property Management and IT.
Since 2007, we have steadily built up the number of apprentices we employ and the range of schemes we offer. Currently we have 280 apprentices training across our wider workforce (including in maintained schools) in a diverse range of roles. There are currently around 641 different apprenticeship standards available and we deliver around 45 of these.
This year we have introduced a new apprenticeship hub which has added additional resources to support with further programmes across wider services areas. The aim of the apprenticeship hub is to support all our colleagues and teams by providing a centralised support service across our organisation with all aspects of apprenticeship training.
Our apprentices go on to achieve great things, improving our services and helping our organisation go from strength to strength.
Two young people have been the first to embark on a new supported apprenticeship scheme, launched in January, which aims to help build experience and confidence in the workplace for those with additional health needs. The initiative is run by Oxfordshire Employment, our supported employment service and is available to those aged 16 - 21 living with a health or disability need who might need additional support to enter work. These apprenticeships are tailored to suit the needs, circumstances and aspirations of the individual taking part and have lower academic criteria for entry to help increase accessibility and opportunities for young people to enter the workplace.
What would you say to anyone thinking about entering or nominating?
We would like to say “go for it” – it is a great opportunity to promote your commitment to apprenticeships, and to recognise the achievements of your apprentices.
- Please note that entries for the Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards 2022 are now closed, but keep in mind that there is always next year! If you would like to know more about the awards, or if you have any questions please feel free to send an email to [email protected] and we will be sure to get back to you!
