We're delighted to introduce our Cherwell Business Awards 2017 Apprenticeship of the Year finalists 2017! Follow the links below to find out all about them...

Fine Lady Bakeries produce a wide range of bakery products from its ten acre site in Banbury. Their Apprentices are an integral part of their engineering team and receive mentoring and support that's second to none.

Prodrive is best known as a motorsport organisation which competes on the world stage in rally and on the track. They also have a world class Apprenticeship scheme, driven by a passion to encourage young people into the industry.

Social Sidekick are a social media management agency, designed to take the hassle out of social media for small businesses. Apprentices manage their own portfolio of around 10 clients and bring creativity and innovation to both their own business and those they work for.

Congratulations to all our fantastic finalists! We are looking forward to celebrating with them at the gala dinner on 5th May at Heythrop Park, when we'll be announcing the winner. What a tough call! The winner will be following in some top class footsteps... read about last year's winner, High Spec Composites. 

Award winning Apprenticeship Ambassador to present the award

The finalists were chosen by a panel of judges that included Apprenticeship Ambassador Emily Bampton, who will be presenting the award to the winning business on the night. Emily knows what it's like to win an award as she was crowned Apprenticeship Ambassador of the Year at the inaugural Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards during National Apprenticeship Week last month.  

Judging the award

Our judges were looking for evidence of the following criteria, which our final three were able to demonstrate through their application form, with further evidence gathered during a visit from a member of the Oxfordshire Apprenticeships team:

• Using recruitment processes to encourage applications from a diverse and inclusive range of candidates
• Providing an opportunity that has offered an Apprentice exceptional personal development and mentoring support
• Where an Apprentice has been empowered to make significant contribution to business success/growth
• Provision of additional learning opportunities above and beyond training provided by the apprentice training provider
• Evidence of a positive onward journey, either through retention by the employer, or progression post-Apprenticeship

We're very proud to sponsor this award and that such a fantastic ambassador for Apprenticeships will be presenting it!