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 Popham Hairdressing as sponsor of the Rising Star Award, which will recognise apprentices who have been in post for less than 9 months and have already excelled in their work, learning and development and made exceptional contributions to their workplaces.
Here, Shirley Popham, Managing Director, explains why Popham Hairdressing 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 changed the whole way our training programme has been viewed and therefore the increased applications we receive.
Since winning the Apprenticeship Employer Award (<250 employees) in 2018, our apprenticeship programme is so strong and we are delighted to now have 77% homegrown staff, which makes a huge difference to the ongoing expansion and growth of Popham.
We have chosen to sponsor this category as our apprentice, Liv was a finalist in this category last year and we like the continuity that brings the award. I intend to bring her will our interviews, when judging the category.
What are you looking for in the winner of your category?
An apprentice who has made a huge impact in their own career, in their way of being as well as for the company they work for, in the first year of the apprenticeship. Someone who really goes above and beyond in their approach to being an apprentice.
What would you say to anyone thinking about entering or nominating?
Enter, if you aren’t in it you can’t win it!
It is such an accolade from your employer to be nominated or just enter yourself – it really boosts morale and makes you see the value in yourself, which sometimes can be hard for people to see.
Tell us about your organisation’s experience of apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are a fundamental part of our business and make a difference to every day with our team. Without the support of our apprentices, our team could not deliver what they do. It was highlighted how much difference they make to us during the Covid come back when we weren’t allowed to utilise our apprentices.
We work very closely with a training provider who does the theoretical part of our programme and we do the practical part but fundamentally, the apprentices are our team.
It is a joy to see that 21 of our team have now come through our programme and to see them flying in their careers, makes it totally worthwhile.
I would recommend using an apprenticeship to train in our industry as opposed to a college, because its so much more. Its hands on, meaning you earn while you learn and when you qualify, you are actually able to perform your job, rather than starting from scratch.
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.