The Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards 2022 recognised the best talent in the county with a special live-streamed event on Thursday 19 May, followed by an in-person celebration evening at Williams F1 Conference Centre on 26 May, where finalists were presented with their trophies.
The Apprenticeship Employer Award (250+ employees) recognises large Apprenticeship employers in Oxfordshire that have exceeded normal standards and expectations in providing a high-quality apprenticeship experience.
The 2022 award was won by Oxford Biomedica, a gene and cell therapy company specialising in the development of gene-based medicines, whose mission is to deliver life changing gene therapies to patients.
Apprenticeship programmes are core to Oxford Biomedica’s strategy to develop emerging talent and grow the next generation of leaders and they utilise them both to develop existing employees and to attract new talent into the company. Apprentices receive exceptional training and mentoring during their time with the company and are encouraged to actively participate in outreach activities to both develop their own skills and inspire the next generation.
Oxford Biomedica is a core and founding member of the Advanced Therapies Apprenticeship Community (ATAC), which was purposefully initiated to address the projected shortfall of skilled workers in the UK cell and gene therapy industry by developing industry specific apprenticeship standards. Working closely with the ATAC and training providers, Oxford Biomedica has been able to tailor training materials to deliver the skills and knowledge the apprentices, company and wider industry require to be successful. Consequently, the skills developed by the company’s apprentices are directly applicable to the industry and highly sought after.
Head of Talent Acquisition & Early Careers at Oxford Biomedica, Julie Copperthwaite said: “Apprentices are a key part of Oxford Biomedica’s growth strategy, supporting the development of STEM skills in the UK. Early Careers talent adds diversity of thinking for our organisation, so we are absolutely delighted to be recognised for our efforts and to have won this award.”
The 2022 award was kindly sponsored by Oxford North, the new global life sciences district for Oxford. Olivia Lane-Nott, who looks after brand and corporate communications for Oxford North, judged the category. She said: “As the UK manufacturer of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, Oxford Biomedica offer a wide range of Apprenticeship opportunities from Lab Technicians to HR Support, to training Advanced Therapies Technician Scientists and Plant Engineers to senior leadership master’s degrees. They have partnered with the Advanced Therapies Apprenticeship Community (ATAC) to develop talent in the Cell and Gene Therapy industry and the outreach they do and their role as STEM ambassadors is very inspiring. Oxford Biomedica shone out with their dedicated and passionate team to support their 31 Apprentices and the variety of STEM roles they offer as they continue their strategy to develop emerging talent and grow the next generation of leaders.”
About the Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards 2023
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.
