The Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards recognised the best talent in the county with a special virtual broadcast on Thursday 1st October 2020.

In addition to celebrating the successes of Oxfordshire’s Apprentices, employers and schools, the Awards also gives us the opportunity to recognise individuals who have gone on to achieve great things in their career as a result of their Apprenticeship.

The Shining Star Award, kindly sponsored by Integration Technology Ltd for the third year running, is awarded to someone who has made outstanding progress in their career since completing their first Apprenticeship and has the potential to achieve even more.

The 2020 award was won by Luke Mattam, who has completed both IT and Business Admin Apprenticeships with Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) since he joined them 2009. Luke is now in the second year of his third Apprenticeship, a level 6 Degree Apprenticeship in Chartered Management.

The Shining Star Award was sponsored for the second year by Integration Technology Ltd, a pioneering designer and developer of ultra-violet (UV) curing solutions for ink jet printing, as well as other emerging technologies. Chief Executive Officer Adrian Lockwood said: “Luke’s achievements are clearly demonstrated and he has extensive experience since completing his Apprenticeship. He continues to celebrate and very actively promote Apprenticeships. His insight and suggestions when we met as to what else could be done were inspirational. He has clearly gone that extra mile and we believe will continue to do so. Therefore, we had no hesitation in naming Luke our Shining Star Award winner.”

Luke said: “I am a great advocate for Apprenticeships, I believe they are a great way of learning key skills that directly help you in your role. They show potential employers that you not only have the qualification, but also the key work experience that they are looking for. As such, in all of my work with young people and their families I promote and encourage Apprenticeships as a great way to further your career.”

Luke’s line manager Jessie Dobson said: “Luke always puts the support and development of others before himself and deserves to have his achievements recognised - not only completing his own Apprenticeships but also helping others to gain skills and progress as well as always seeking to support the needs of the wider service. He is such a positive advocate of Apprenticeships for all at varying levels.”

See our article for details of all the winning and highly commended entrants.

Join us for Oxfordshire Apprenticeships Hour (#OAHour) on Twitter @OxonApprentice from 1pm every Thursday for latest on the Awards and join in the conversation using the hashtag #OAAwards2021.