Apprenticeships provide an opportunity to learn new skills, gain qualifications and start out in a new career.
The council has supported and benefited from apprenticeships since 2006. We have steadily built up the number of apprentices we employ, and the diversity of the apprenticeship schemes we offer. Our 125th apprentice was recruited in September 2010. In March 2011 Chief Executive Joanna Simons signed the Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Pledge demonstrating the council's ongoing commitment to actively promote and develop apprenticeship opportunities within our workforce, the community and our supply chain.
Introducing apprenticeships video
The following short video, made to celebrate Apprenticeship Week in February 2010, features recent apprentices talking about their experiences in their own words.
The benefits of the apprenticeship are you get to put theory into practice. Instead of just reading about it in a book, you get to go out there and plan it and then do it and then you can review it.
Apprenticeships are a good thing because you can work, you can get paid, and you can learn, and you'll get experience.
You get to experience a variety of different care centres.
The apprenticeship is a good thing because you can learn and earn and no two days are ever the same.
I enjoy working while studying.
It’s given me the opportunity to learn about different disabilities and how I can support people.
It’s given me the opportunity to get into the workplace with support.
Apprenticeships are a good thing because you can start at level nought and work to the highest possible that you can go and you get great support and masses amount of help.
You earn while you learn.
It’s been fascinating being an apprentice here.
I choose the apprenticeship, well, to meet new people, to get the NVQ, and to get more experience, I think. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've met lots of new people and made lots of new friends. I'll tell you what, I'm glad I did this instead of going to university.
The benefits of the apprenticeship are you get to put theory into practice. Instead of just reading about it in a book, you get to go out there and plan it and then do it and then you can review it.
Apprenticeships are a good thing because you can work, you can get paid, and you can learn, and you'll get experience.
You get to experience a variety of different care centres.
The apprenticeship is a good thing because you can learn and earn and no two days are ever the same.
I enjoy working while studying.
It’s given me the opportunity to learn about different disabilities and how I can support people.
It’s given me the opportunity to get into the workplace with support.
Apprenticeships are a good thing because you can start at level nought and work to the highest possible that you can go and you get great support and masses amount of help.
You earn while you learn.
It’s been fascinating being an apprentice here.
I choose the apprenticeship, well, to meet new people, to get the NVQ, and to get more experience, I think. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've met lots of new people and made lots of new friends. I'll tell you what, I'm glad I did this instead of going to university.
Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Pledge
In March 2011, Chief Executive Joanna Simons signed the Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Pledge, a commitment to supporting apprenticeships that is being made by employers across Oxfordshire.
A wide range of partners committed to apprenticeships
The purpose of the pledge is to increase the availability of apprenticeships within Oxfordshire. Partners involved in its design were Oxford City Council, Oxford Brookes University, University of Oxford and Oxfordshire County Council. Employers across the county are now being encouraged to support the pledge, which states:
We recognise that apprenticeships represent a tremendous opportunity to meet our present and future skills needs and the employment needs of our local community. We pledge:
- To actively promote and develop apprenticeship opportunities within our workforce, the community and our supply chain
- To increase provision of apprenticeships across Oxfordshire by sharing our best practice and employment opportunities
- To provide a programme of pre-apprenticeship support and encouragement to key target groups including young people and unemployed residents.
Why are apprenticeships important?
Apprenticeships have a long history in the UK. For the individuals involved, apprenticeships are an important opportunity to gain experience and on-the-job training. Apprenticeships also offer a valuable opportunity for young people in particular to engage with the world of work and training, improving their long-term career prospects.
Central government support for apprenticeships remains very strong, with funding available for employers to pay for apprenticeship training costs.
Council managers report significant business benefits from involving apprenticeships in our workforce. For example, our "own grown" employees show impressive dedication and commitment to the organisation's objectives. The council encourages other employers of all sizes, from all sectors, to investigate whether apprenticeships could add value in their organisations.
Areas of work
The council involves apprenticeships in a broad range of roles throughout our services. We currently support apprenticeships in social care, business administration, IT, creative arts, finance, outdoor education and civil engineering (though Adult Learning apprenticeships).
Meet our apprentices videos
View these video clips to hear our apprentices talk about their experience in their own words.
Civil engineering apprenticeships
I'm an assistant engineer with the Highway Adoption Team. I've just completed my ONC in Civil Engineering, and I've just started my HNC in Civil Engineering.
I'm a Traffic Engineer and I've just completed my apprenticeship at Oxfordshire County Council and I'm studying further to complete my HNC.
I choose Civil Engineering because it was one of the few jobs I could start training from the beginning. At my age, not many people were willing to fund me to start a career and progress me.
I had all the qualifications, A-Level, GCSE's, but I really wanted to further my education and everywhere required life experience, and I applied for the county council's apprenticeship programme. So far it's been very good.
I'm an assistant engineer with the Highway Adoption Team. I've just completed my ONC in Civil Engineering, and I've just started my HNC in Civil Engineering.
I'm a Traffic Engineer and I've just completed my apprenticeship at Oxfordshire County Council and I'm studying further to complete my HNC.
I choose Civil Engineering because it was one of the few jobs I could start training from the beginning. At my age, not many people were willing to fund me to start a career and progress me.
I had all the qualifications, A-Level, GCSE's, but I really wanted to further my education and everywhere required life experience, and I applied for the county council's apprenticeship programme. So far it's been very good.
Outdoor education apprenticeships
We are partner for Oxfordshire's outdoor education collusion. We have three centres: Kilvrough Manor, Woodlands, and Yenworthy Lodge. Oxfordshire have a great tradition dating back to the mid-sixties of providing outdoor education provision out-of-county. We also have Hill End residential centre, which is an in-county provision and basically take children Monday to Friday and develop them from Monday to Friday, so that when they get back off the coach in Oxfordshire, mum's and dad's sometimes don’t recognise them.
Last year we were able, with Oxfordshire's help, to develop the scheme so that there are now two apprentices at each of the three out-of-county centres, and we hope that we can replicate that back at Hill End and the in-county provision, because we have space for about two.
I've grown from being an apprentice here, just so much. When I first came here I was, you know when you get that idea of something that you quite like to do but you're not sure of you'll be any good at it what-so-ever, and I came in that sort of frame of mind. I'll give it a go and I'm so passionate about outdoor sports and developing kids that I thought that it might be the job for me, but I sort of thought, you know, I'm not sure if I'm cut out to do it. During my time at Yenworthy, it's just given me experience and knowledge to know you got given the chances to take kids out and then it makes you realise that you can do it and obliviously you're working alongside with the other instructors and they are constantly giving you feedback on what you're doing and how well you are doing it, and what you could possibly change. You are constantly monitored and everything you do, you get feedback on and then you try to do it again and it gets that little bit better. I've got so much out of it. It's sort of like planting a little flower into a really big sunflower, for me anyways.
We are partner for Oxfordshire's outdoor education collusion. We have three centres: Kilvrough Manor, Woodlands, and Yenworthy Lodge. Oxfordshire have a great tradition dating back to the mid-sixties of providing outdoor education provision out-of-county. We also have Hill End residential centre, which is an in-county provision and basically take children Monday to Friday and develop them from Monday to Friday, so that when they get back off the coach in Oxfordshire, mum's and dad's sometimes don’t recognise them.
Last year we were able, with Oxfordshire's help, to develop the scheme so that there are now two apprentices at each of the three out-of-county centres, and we hope that we can replicate that back at Hill End and the in-county provision, because we have space for about two.
I've grown from being an apprentice here, just so much. When I first came here I was, you know when you get that idea of something that you quite like to do but you're not sure of you'll be any good at it what-so-ever, and I came in that sort of frame of mind. I'll give it a go and I'm so passionate about outdoor sports and developing kids that I thought that it might be the job for me, but I sort of thought, you know, I'm not sure if I'm cut out to do it. During my time at Yenworthy, it's just given me experience and knowledge to know you got given the chances to take kids out and then it makes you realise that you can do it and obliviously you're working alongside with the other instructors and they are constantly giving you feedback on what you're doing and how well you are doing it, and what you could possibly change. You are constantly monitored and everything you do, you get feedback on and then you try to do it again and it gets that little bit better. I've got so much out of it. It's sort of like planting a little flower into a really big sunflower, for me anyways.
Health and social care apprenticeships
My name is Ginni and I am the deputy project manager of Iris Hayter House; which is a registered care home run by Response. Response is an organisation that provides supported housing and promotes independence for people with mental health problems. Iris Hayter House is the only registered care home within the organisation. And our residence here get high level of personal care, support with their personal hygiene and a lot of them have mobility issues as well.
We have had two apprentices at Iris Hayter House, which has been an interesting experience for them and for us. I like to think that we are offering them as much opportunity as possible for their personal development and for professional development by trying to provide apprentices with opportunities to learn how to work with people with mental health problems, who might display some sort of challenging behaviour at times and supporting them with their daily living, personal care and learning to do that in a way that is respectful and offers the option of dignity for all our clients.
My name is Emma Knowles, and I am 19 years old. I have completed my apprenticeship course in October of last year, and I am now working full time for my last placement, which is Response Organisation in Littlemore. There was an option for me to go to university, but I thought I'd choose the apprenticeship route to meet new people and to get the NVQ and to get more experience, I think. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've met lots of new people and made lots of new friends. And I'll tell you what, I'm glad I did this instead of going to university.
My name is Ginni and I am the deputy project manager of Iris Hayter House; which is a registered care home run by Response. Response is an organisation that provides supported housing and promotes independence for people with mental health problems. Iris Hayter House is the only registered care home within the organisation. And our residence here get high level of personal care, support with their personal hygiene and a lot of them have mobility issues as well.
We have had two apprentices at Iris Hayter House, which has been an interesting experience for them and for us. I like to think that we are offering them as much opportunity as possible for their personal development and for professional development by trying to provide apprentices with opportunities to learn how to work with people with mental health problems, who might display some sort of challenging behaviour at times and supporting them with their daily living, personal care and learning to do that in a way that is respectful and offers the option of dignity for all our clients.
My name is Emma Knowles, and I am 19 years old. I have completed my apprenticeship course in October of last year, and I am now working full time for my last placement, which is Response Organisation in Littlemore. There was an option for me to go to university, but I thought I'd choose the apprenticeship route to meet new people and to get the NVQ and to get more experience, I think. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've met lots of new people and made lots of new friends. And I'll tell you what, I'm glad I did this instead of going to university.
Employment
All our apprentices are employed by the council, though some apprentices are based with our partner organisations for their work placement. Our apprentices are mostly in full time positions. They are all paid a salary and given the opportunity to complete nationally recognised qualifications, which are delivered by local training providers. Our apprenticeships last between 1-2 years.
Support
All our apprentices receive a high level of support from their managers and training providers and we provide opportunities for apprentices to also access mentoring support. We also arrange for additional training and activities where appropriate.
Awards and accolades
The council and our apprentices have won a number of awards and accolades. In December 2009 the Social and Health Care apprenticeship won the Most Effective Employer Investment at the Skills for Care Accolades. Chris Hebden, one of our Civil Engineering apprentices was Oxford City Freeman Engineering Apprentice of the year 2009 and Ollie Bailey Oxford City Freeman Health Apprentice of the year 2008.
How to apply for apprenticeship at Oxfordshire County Council
All our apprenticeship jobs are advertised through our online jobs section. You can register your email address to receive alerts when we advertise opportunities. Some schemes such as social and health care and business administration are recruited every year, whilst other programmes such as civil engineering are recruited to every two years.
To register your interest and apply for Social and Health Care posts please contact Helen Hannay on helen.hannay@oxfordshire.gov.uk or 01865 797548.
To register your interest for all other posts please email apprenticeships@oxfordshire.gov.uk.
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