Other Health and Social Care Apprentices who have been part of the project which works with care providers, schools and colleges throughout Oxfordshire, will gather at County Hall in Oxford from 4.30pm to talk about the career pathways they have taken.

The one-hundredth apprentice recruited is 18-year-old Nazaha Begum, from Rose Hill, Oxford.

Attendees will be joined by Councillor Arash Fatemian, the council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Services and the Leader of the Council, Councillor Keith Mitchell, to celebrate theapprentices’ achievements.

Experience gained

The apprenticeship scheme, which began five years ago, gives those taking part two separate placements within social care with different service user groups in contrasting environments. It also ensures that those involved have adequate literacy and numeracy skills for when they enter the work environment. The county council acts as the employer and training provider for the apprentices.

People from a mix of backgrounds, including young carers, care leavers and those who have completed A levels and GCSEs, have become apprentices, a process which can take between 12 and 18 months to complete, allowing participants time to complete all relevant strands around other responsibilities.

The scheme, which won the Most Effective Employer Investment in Apprenticeships category at the 2009 Skills for Care Accolades, gives apprentices the flexibility not to be tied to a particular employer and a choice for who they want to work for.

Great opportunity

Councillor Fatemian said: “This award-winning project has been very successful and I would like to pass on my congratulations to all of the young people who have completed their apprenticeships.

“Working in adult social care can be a very rewarding profession and I am delighted that so many young people have taken the opportunity to be an apprentice and to learn new skills.”

Past apprentices have entered the adult social care workforce in a range of different careers, including becoming occupational therapist assistants and senior care workers.

Employers interested in learning about offering apprenticeships in a care setting should contact Helen Hannay, Oxfordshire County Council’s Manager for Accessing Social Care Careers, on 01865 797548.