Plymouth apprentices one step closer to UK team of the year

After two months of tough competition between more than 90 teams of apprentices Plymouth City Council’s team have made it through to the finals of the Brathay Challenge to become ‘Apprenticeship Team of the Year’.

Eight teams across the country were announced by Skills Minister Matthew Hancock as finalists in the 2013 challenge after planning, delivering and communicating a community project to help raise the profile of apprenticeships to both young people and businesses.

A team of nine Plymouth City Council Apprentices, with the support of other staff, have worked exceptionally hard to compete in the regional heats which took place during National Apprenticeships Week in March.

Their project was to design and makeover a section of the Place De Brest garden which included planting, landscaping and general ground maintenance. They also chose to link the theme with the 50th anniversary of Plymouth’s twinning with Brest in France.

During the week they visited schools across the city to talk to other young people about the benefits of apprenticeships and how they work as a way of gaining qualifications, skills and experience of working life.

Following the projects, teams were required to submit portfolios of their work, including photos, details of media coverage and how they used social media as part of communication.

Points were given by judges, who included representatives from British Chambers of Commerce, Bright Ideas Trust and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills before the finalists were announced. The judges congratulated the apprentices for their commitment and dedication in competing in the regional heats.

Skills Minister Matthew Hancock said: "The apprentices taking part in the Brathay Apprentice Challenge have shown a huge amount of ambition, dedication and commitment and have demonstrated how apprentices deliver for their employers’ day-in, day-out. The finalists are an inspiration to any young person considering an Apprenticeship."

Plymouth will join the other seven finalists teams to complete further fundraising and awareness raising activity. The Challenge culminates in a series of team building tests, logistical challenges and physical competition at Brathay Trust’s Windermere headquarters from 10 to 12 June 2013.

Godfrey Owen, Chief Executive of organisers, Brathay Trust, said: “The competition was really tough this year with over 800 individual apprentices competing and all the teams worked really hard to get to the finals. We are looking forward to the final stage of awareness raising and fundraising – and welcoming the finalists to Brathay in June.”

Ken Holder, Apprenticeships Coordinator at Plymouth City Council added: “We are proud of the effort put into this challenge by our apprentices; they are the backbone of our organisation and a vital part to our growth. The dedication and commitment they have shown throughout this competition is definitely a positive sign for us as a council and for our city.”