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 NielsenIQ – a 30,000-strong global team that helps retail trading partners understand the complex consumer landscape through data, analytics and technology – as sponsor of the Advanced Apprentice of the Year Award. This award will recognise level 3 apprentices who have been in post for at least 9 months and have excelled in their work, learning and development and made exceptional contributions to their workplaces..
Here, Maya Davidson, a Level 6 Apprentice at NielsenIQ, 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?
The Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards have been a great way of showcasing the amazing talent and hard work apprentices do around the Oxfordshire area. We are sponsoring the Advanced Apprentice of the Year Award as we want to do our part in recognising the individuals who go above and beyond and excel within in the educational setting.
What are you looking for in the winner of your category?
We are looking for an individual who has exceptional feedback from their peers and teachers, is dedicated to their development and shows genuine passion and commitment towards apprenticeships and their own journey.
What would you say to anyone thinking about entering or nominating?
We highly encourage anyone thinking about entering or nominating, to do so. The awards offer a fantastic platform to showcase what apprentices in the Oxfordshire area are achieving and demonstrate support for young people, which encourages other employers to do the same in their businesses.
Tell us about your organisation’s experience of apprenticeships
We launched our first apprenticeship programme in 2014 with our first Level 5 apprenticeship in Business Innovation and Growth. After 3 successful years and 3 outstanding cohorts of apprentices who transitioned into live roles around the business, we decided to evolve our apprenticeship programme to not only meet the needs of our business but also to build upon the legacy the apprentices established with the Level 5 apprenticeship.
In 2015 we launched our first Level 3 programme in Business Administration with 4 apprentices beginning their career within our Client Service Online team. In line with evolving our Level 5 to Level 6 programme, in 2018 we launched a new Level 3 in Customer Service with the Client Service Online team with two new apprentices joining the business.
In 2017 we launched our first, degree level apprenticeship which saw 10 new apprentices joining Nielsen where they will complete three year rotations around the business whilst studying for a BA (hons) Degree in Business and Management practice.
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.