The ninth 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 22 May 2025 at Blenheim Palace.
We’re delighted to introduce Grundon as sponsor of the Apprenticeship Ambassador Award, which will recognise individuals who go the extra mile to champion and promote apprenticeships in Oxfordshire..
Grundon provides a total waste management service for the collection, treatment, recycling, recovery and disposal of all non-hazardous waste streams, including general waste, mixed recycling, paper cups, confidential waste and food waste.
Here, Bev Capewell, Head of HR and & Addisen Gregory, L&D Coordinator, explain why Grundon 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?
Over the years, Grundon have actively increased the number of quality apprenticeships within our business, and by supporting the Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards, this demonstrates our wider commitment to the development of new skills and experiences that can be offered through apprenticeships, not just within our business, but in the wider local areas in which we operate.
We have chosen to sponsor the Apprenticeship Ambassador Award as we are an advocate of apprenticeships and see ambassadorial roles key to driving more people to consider an apprenticeship.
What are you looking for in the winner of your category?
In recognising the winner of the Apprenticeship Ambassador Award, we are seeking an individual who exemplifies excellence, passion and unwavering dedication to apprenticeships as a whole. This person stands out not only for their own achievements but for their ability to inspire and uplift those apprentices around them.
What would you say to anyone thinking about entering or nominating?
Apprenticeships offer a great opportunity to learn new skills, which can be actively applied and demonstrated within the workplace. A nomination or entry to the awards is a great way to showcase and celebrate the progress you / your apprentice has made within their role and how they have progressed so far in their role.
Tell us about your organisation’s experience of apprenticeships
Grundon have long utilised apprenticeships within our vehicle workshops, our sales teams, administration roles and engineers. Along with two closed Team Leader Level 3 cohorts. We have apprentices coming into the business as new colleagues and we have created apprenticeship roles to help further develop and upskill our current workforce and future leaders.
About the awards
The awards will be open for entries and nominations until midnight on the evening of Monday 24 February 2025. Finalists will be announced during Oxfordshire Apprenticeships Hour (hashtag #OAHour) across the OxLEP Skills social media channels from 13:00 on Thursday 24 April 2025. Winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony on Thursday 22 May 2025.
If you would like the opportunity to support the awards, please get in touch.
Join us for Oxfordshire Apprenticeships Hour (#OAHour) on X @OxonApprentice from 13:00-14:00 every Thursday for latest on the Awards and join in the conversation using the hashtag #OAAwards2025.