The sixth 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 live virtual ceremony on Thursday 19 May 2022.
We're delighted to introduce Oxfordshire Advanced Skills (OAS) as sponsor of the Higher/Degree Apprentice of the Year Award. OAS offers high quality training for apprentice engineers and technicians at technology businesses in the Thames Valley.
Here, Emma Johnstone, Operations Manager at OAS, explains why they have 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?
Oxfordshire Advanced Skills is supporting the Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards because we’re passionate about supporting local talent – we believe it’s a great opportunity to showcase some of the amazing skills we have in Oxfordshire!
We’ve chosen to sponsor the higher and degree apprenticeships category as this is the perfect next step for an apprentice after they finish the Level 3 or 4 training that we deliver at OAS. We’re committed to supporting learners at every stage of their career, whether they’re taking their first steps into industry, gaining new skills to move between sectors, or becoming experts through specialist knowledge and skills. To support this ambition, we’ve recently partnered with BPP, who deliver a wide range of degree apprenticeships to complement our current training programmes, so sponsoring this particular category seemed like something we could really get behind.
What are you looking for in the winner of your category?
We are looking for someone with a real passion for their apprenticeship – somebody who has made the most of the opportunities an apprenticeship can offer. We’d also really like to see someone who has ‘gone the extra mile’, who has gone above and beyond what was required of them to exceed expectations and really embraced their apprenticeship journey.
What would you say to anyone thinking about entering or nominating?
If you’re thinking of entering – go for it! We think this is a great opportunity to showcase your skills and achievements! It’s a fantastic chance to get some recognition for your hard work and celebrate your successes, as well as providing you with a springboard to further your career.
For anyone considering nominating, putting forward an apprentice will show how much you have valued and benefitted from their contribution to your organisation. It’s also a great way to let other potential talent know that you’re a company that invests in and develops your employees.
Tell us about your organisation’s experience of Apprenticeships
As a training provider, we’ve worked with many apprentices in the Oxfordshire area and are proud of each and every one as they have gone on to help industry and are already positively impacting the businesses they have joined. As well as training apprentices, as apprenticeship champions, we also employ apprentices ourselves and are delighted to have seen so many learners progress through their programme to become a fully-fledged members of the team.
We offer a wide variety of apprenticeships – not just in engineering but also in business administration and apprentices have played a huge part in the growth of our organisation. They’re really helping us to develop the next generation of talent both for our own business and for the broader manufacturing sector.
About the Awards
The awards will open for entries and nominations on Thursday 18 November. Winners will be announced at a live virtual ceremony on Thursday 19 May 2022.
Visit our Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards 2022 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 1pm every Thursday for latest on the Awards and join in the conversation using the hashtag #OAAwards2022.
