The eighth 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 16 May 2024 at Williams Racing Conference Centre.
We’re delighted to introduce IST INTECH as sponsor for the sixth year running of the Shining Star Award, which will recognise individuals who have made outstanding progress in their career since completing their apprenticeship and have the potential to achieve even more.
IST INTECH is a pioneering designer and developer of ultra-violet (UV) curing solutions for ink jet printing, as well as other emerging technologies. Here, Simon Roberts (pictured), Managing Director at IST INTECH, explains why the company 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?
We are delighted to be sponsoring the Shining Star category for the sixth year in a row.
IST INTECH has been a long-time supporter not only of the Oxfordshire Apprenticeships Awards but of apprenticeships in general. We have always looked at apprenticeships as a meaningful and rewarding way of finding your chosen career and have rolled out various programs within our business over the years. Indeed over half our senior leadership team are former apprentices or vocationally trained, including our CEO, a record we are very proud of.
What are you looking for in the winner of your category?
We will be looking for individuals who are passionate about their chosen careers and about selecting an apprenticeship as a route into their career. We will also be looking for evidence that they have clearly positively contributed and been a benefit to their respective employer(s) or business.
The ideal finalist will be someone who has been involved in externally promoting apprenticeships (after completing their own); who can articulate a clear vision of their future career development, including continuing with (or planning to continue with) further training and professional development, as well as a passion for what they do and in encouraging and mentoring others.
What would you say to anyone thinking about entering or nominating?
Go for it and please don’t be shy. We love hearing people talking positively about their job role and how they found their chosen career and would like you to share your story in the hope of inspiring others (who have yet to enter the world of work) about how taking an apprenticeship is a really rewarding and meaningful experience.
Tell us about your organisation’s experience of apprenticeships
We have had extensive participation with local schools, businesses and the wider community in mentoring and championing the Oxfordshire Apprenticeships programme.
This has included offering work experience and careers advice to young people, ensuring that they understand the value added that an apprenticeship can bring them and why businesses offer them. We also meet with the local business community at workshops or seminars; detailing the benefits of, and offering support on, how to implement successful apprenticeship programmes.
We have in the past utilised apprenticeships as a means of recruitment within our organisation, as well as operating a constant program of internal training and mentoring to ensure our workforce remains ‘world class’.
This internal culture has been led by our CEO. The Shining Star Award and its criteria fits the ethos IST INTECH promotes around apprenticeships and further training.
About the awards
The awards will be open for entries and nominations until midnight on the evening of Monday 19 February 2024. Finalists will be announced during Oxfordshire Apprenticeships Hour (hashtag #OAHour) on Twitter @OxonApprentice from 13:00 on Thursday 18 April 2024. Winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony on Thursday 16 May 2024.
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 13:00-14:00 every Thursday for latest on the Awards and join in the conversation using the hashtag #OAAwards2024.