Nine apprentices from across Serco are taking part in a national challenge to promote apprenticeships in a bid to become the apprentice team of the year.
Now in its fifth year, the Brathay Apprentice Challenge sees teams undertake a series of work-related challenges to develop new skills and promote the benefits of apprenticeships to young people and businesses. This could include community projects and other activities to raise the profile of their team, their organisation and apprenticeships in their local area.
Today, as part of Apprenticeship Week 2016 (14-18 March), Serco’s Brathay Challenge team hosted two events at the company’s head office in Hook, Hampshire to promote the value of recruiting apprentices into the business and help increase numbers.
The events support Serco’s pledge to have 1,000 employees undertaking apprenticeships in the UK by the end of the year, an increase of over 33% on existing numbers.
Serco‘s team is competing in the South West regional heats of the Challenge and has until the end of April to compile and submit a portfolio of their achievements to the judges. Points are awarded to each team for encouraging young people to apply for apprenticeships, with more points awarded for successful candidates and even more for convincing businesses to start an apprenticeship scheme
In addition to today’s events, the Serco team has already undertaken multiple visits to schools and colleges and will shortly take part in a community based project in Hook and a fundraising event in Taunton.
Each of the nine apprentices are this week also job shadowing a member of the Serco Executive team – including Group Chief Executive Rupert Soames – to broaden their knowledge of the business and gain a unique insight into what it’s like to run a large, multinational business.
Serco’s Brathay Challenge team leader, Jordan Lovesey, a Business Administration apprentice based in Serco’s Gloucester office, said: "This is an exciting opportunity for us to really demonstrate our skills and learn new ones, while also raising the profile of apprenticeships among young people and businesses. Our aim is to create more opportunities for others within Serco and beyond.”
Team member, Oliver Bodenham, currently in the second year of his Electrical/Electronic Advanced Engineering Apprenticeship with Serco’s defence team based at Waterlooville in Hampshire, added: “I will be making every effort to engage with different employers and young people to share our good experiences of apprenticeships”.
The Brathay Challenge National Finalists will be announced on the 18 May at an event in the House of Commons.
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