Entries have opened for the Local Government Apprentice of the Year
Whether you’re taking the first step on your career ladder, taking the next step in your profession or even taking a sideways step into a brand-new occupation, we all know how important apprenticeships are to staff in local government.
Almost 27,000 apprentices are currently ‘on programme’ in councils across England, an ever-growing part of our workforce.
This means recognising their contribution, celebrating their successes and showcasing their talents has never been more important.
That’s where the Local Government Apprentice of the Year comes in. Now in its third year, it is the only event of its kind in the sector.
Held online to facilitate maximum attendance, the competition is open to all current Level 2 and 3 apprentices (and those qualified within the past 12 months) working for councils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Taking place on 24 and 25 May, the Local Government Apprentice of the Year 2023 provides apprentices with an exciting opportunity to learn, network and showcase their skills.
The event works in a similar way to the LGA’s Local Government Challenge, with apprentices put through their paces in a series of tasks designed to simulate the experience of delivering successful local government services, covering everything from policy making and consultation to communication and their own personal development. Our theme this year is climate change.
Every apprentice who takes part will get the opportunity to work alongside other apprentices from across the three nations.
They will take part in a day of activities designed to test their skills, ideas and experience, all applied to real-life challenges faced by local government, with support from our team of development leads throughout the event.
Up for grabs are awards and prizes, including ‘Best Team’, two overall runners-up and the coveted Local Government Apprentice of the Year, who will also take home £500 in Love-to-Shop vouchers.
The event also includes a Q&A with a guest speaker from the world of local government and apprenticeships.Previous speakers have included the then apprenticeships ministers Gillian Keegan MP and Alex Burghart MP, and Steve Rotheram, the Metro Mayor of Liverpool City Region.
After the event, apprentices and their managers will be sent an individual report with scores for each activity and an employer checklist to help relate apprentices’ experiences back to the knowledge, skills and behaviours in their qualification.
Numerous apprentices who took part in earlier events have told us how much they enjoyed the experience and why they would recommend the event to other apprentices thinking of entering.
Ackeem, a Level 2 apprentice Civil Enforcement Officer at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, took part in the 2022 event.
He said: “After joining apprentice of the year I gained a lot of recognition of my talent [and] I’ve been awarded learner of the year… I would definitely recommend this to other people, because it’s widened my knowledge of the different areas of the council and its created other job opportunities.”
So what are you waiting for? Book one of your apprentices a place today!