Shropshire Council celebrates success of its apprentices

The council has 224 apprentices who are currently developing their skills on the job, in the council and in its maintained schools.

To mark their achievements and contribution to the workplace, the council held an Apprenticeship Awards ceremony at Shrewsbury Town FC’s stadium last month, which over 70 staff and training providers attended.

Part of the event included an awards ceremony where category winners were announced:

– Apprentice of the Year Award, Claire Morgan, a Shropshire Council ICT business partner, undertaking a level seven digital and technology solutions specialist apprenticeship with Manchester Metropolitan University

– Rising Star Award, Rachael Harrison, a Shropshire Council data officer, undertaking a level four data analyst apprenticeship with Barnsley College

– Most Supportive Line Manager, Stephen Humphrey, Shropshire Council’s senior business analyst, supporting a team of level four business analyst apprentices and undertaking a level five improvement specialist apprenticeship with Skills Training UK

– Most Committed Apprentice, Livvy Brechunec, teaching assistant at Oxon Primary School, Shrewsbury, undertaking a level three teaching assistant apprenticeship

– Director’s Choice, Leela Cottey, strategic asset manager, undertaking a level seven senior leader degree apprenticeship with University of Wolverhampton

Gwilym Butler, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for resources, said: “I am so proud of our apprentices and what they’ve achieved so far. To date, we’ve created 123 new apprenticeship positions, with a further 191 current staff undertaking an apprenticeship across Shropshire Council and our maintained schools.

"A total of 90 of these learners have now completed their apprenticeship programmes, with several progressing to higher level apprenticeships.

“Apprenticeships are a great way to earn whilst you learn and develop your confidence and knowledge, but they’re great for us too. It’s so rewarding to invest in people and help them to develop their skills, knowing that we’re doing our bit to tackle unemployment at what continues to be a difficult time for many.”

Andy Begley, Shropshire Council’s chief executive, added: “A total of 33 of our officers completed an apprenticeship last year. This is a fantastic achievement, especially considering the extra challenges we’ve faced.

“Investing in our staff is incredibly important to us. Our apprenticeship programme encourages and celebrates personal development, and we’re keen to embrace and build upon this so that we can create a happy and healthy workforce with the right skills for our future success as an organisation.”