Award honours apprentices shaping local government
Councils across the UK have once again been celebrating the apprentices who are helping to shape the future of local government.
Since 2020, councils in England have created in excess of 71,000 apprenticeships across more than 200 roles, demonstrating the scale and importance of early career development in the sector.
The LGA continues to support councils to run high-quality apprenticeship programmes, offering funded guidance, peer learning and programme health checks.
This year marked the sixth anniversary of the Local Government Apprentice of the Year, a joint partnership event between the LGA, Local Government East and South West Councils, which has so far engaged with more than 600 apprentices from England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In May, more than 77 Level 2 and 3 apprentices took part in a virtual event focused on collaboration, innovation and fresh thinking.
Over an intensive programme of team challenges, problem-solving tasks and networking, participants developed skills that will support them throughout their local government careers.
Expert mentors guided them through the day, helping them build confidence, leadership capability and a deeper understanding of the sector.
Apprentices worked in teams to tackle a real-world local government challenge, later impressing everyone with their innovative ideas and stellar teamwork during the session.
The title of Local Government Apprentice of the Year 2026 was awarded to Leena Futter, a Corporate Projects Business Admin Apprentice from the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk.
She said: “I’m truly grateful for all the support I have received, and for my nomination and the belief people had in me to take part in the competition.
“I really enjoyed taking part in the challenges – I thought it would be a great opportunity to try something different, meet other apprentices and build my confidence in a team.”
Leena’s achievement clearly highlights the strength of talent that is emerging through local government apprenticeships, proving that apprentices play an essential role in building the future of both our councils and our communities.
Cllr Louise Gittins, LGA Chair, said: “Apprentices are the future of the local government workforce, playing a crucial role in delivering the essential services that communities depend on every day.
“This annual award is a fitting celebration of the talent, commitment and achievements of apprentices across the country, whose contributions are invaluable to the work of councils.”
Kate Blakemore, Chief Executive at Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, said: “We’re absolutely delighted for Leena – she is a talented and capable individual with a very bright future ahead of her.
“Supporting apprentices and graduates is critical to the future of local government, which is why having an apprenticeship programme is so important.
“It’s something we’re fully committed to and it’s a privilege to have been able to put three people forward for this year’s event.”
The joint runners-up were Victoria Grant and Kay Howlett, who both work at Plymouth City Council, while Jay Chauhan from Leicester City Council triumphed in the social media competition.
Oliver Bikar (Coventry), William Coopey (Cardiff), Nicole Gardiner (Norwich), Noah Massink (Stevenage), Vanessa Parkhill (South Gloucestershire), Maia Romero-Ward (Braintree), Imogen Taberner (Wigan) and Kira Woodrofe (Bracknell Forest) made up the winning team.
- Find out more about the competition