Skills Funding Agency
The finalists are apprentices from:
- Apprenticeships Norfolk Network
- Hampshire County Council
- HMRC Digital Newcastle
- HMRC Surge and Rapid Response Team
- HSBC
- IBM
- QinetiQ
- UK Atomic Energy Authority
The teams taking part in the challenge have spread the word about apprenticeships to employers across England and recruited nearly 300 businesses to start offering apprenticeships.
As part of the challenge the apprentice teams have also reached out to their local communities and delivered 45 community projects to benefit young people, from renovation projects to creating volunteering opportunities for young people.
In addition, the teams visited more than 320 schools, career fairs and youth groups to encourage young people to consider apprenticeships.
The national finalists will now continue awareness raising activities until mid June, when they will be invited to Brathay Trusts Windermere headquarters for the logistical and teambuilding finale where the apprentice team of the year will be announced.
Sue Husband, Director of the National Apprenticeship Service, said:
The apprentice team of the year national finals demonstrate the skills, knowledge and desire to succeed from apprentices; and this continues to inspire others and impress us in equal measure. It is great to see apprentices put in the hard work to get the recognition they deserve, highlighting how apprenticeships benefit not only young people themselves, but their employers and their local community too.
Speaking at the House of Commons for the national finalists announcement, Godfrey Owen, Chief Executive of Challenge organisers, Brathay Trust, said:
All of the teams that have taken part have worked really hard and the quality of the portfolios increases year on year. We look forward to the final stage of the challenge when we can welcome the national finalists to Brathay in June.
For more information on the Brathay Apprentice Challenge visit brathay.org.uk/challenge.