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 Oxford North as the 2024 headline sponsor. Oxford North is a new innovation district for the city, which will deliver one million sq ft of labs and workspaces, 480 new homes, hotel, nursery, amenities, three new public parks and significant investment in travelling around sustainably.
Here, Olivia Lane-Nott, Brand & Communications Consultant, explains why Oxford North are supporting the awards and why they have chosen to be the headline sponsor.
Why are you supporting the Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards and why you have chosen to be the headline sponsor?
This is Oxford North’s third year supporting the awards and we’re proud to be headline sponsor of OxLEP’s brilliant initiative supporting companies and apprentices across the county.
We’re sponsoring because we have a passionate belief in the value that apprenticeships can create in increasing social mobility and supporting businesses to grow.
We are busy on-site creating a new place with parks, amenities, lab space and new homes.
We’re proud that, so far, the project has created more than 450 new jobs and eight new apprenticeships.
2024 is a big year for us as with our three construction partners, Hill Group, Careys and Laing O’Rourke, we are accelerating, so these construction job opportunities are only increasing.
We’re proud to support these awards again to help celebrate those companies who are investing now in future talent.
What are you looking for in the Oxfordshire Apprentice of the Year?
We are looking for energy, drive and the ability to be a positive role model that will inspire other apprentices and indeed companies to take a similar approach.
What would you say to anyone thinking about entering or nominating?
Absolutely do – these awards are a celebration of the apprentices and all that they achieve and the companies who are investing in such future talent.
Tell us about your organisation’s experience of apprenticeships
We have an ambitious Community Employment Plan with our construction partners which, for the project’s phase 1, aims to create 55 apprenticeships, 37 work experience opportunities and 680 hours of volunteering, in addition to career events, school engagement and site tours.
The apprentices bring energy and fresh perspectives to our project and the opportunity to grow their careers in construction.
In the future, as Oxford North starts to welcome the first science and tech companies, there will exciting new opportunities for apprenticeships in the businesses who will be based with us.
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.