Croydon Council’s apprenticeship programme has come out on top at a national awards ceremony.
The council won Apprenticeship Employer of the Year at the Personnel Today Awards, which celebrates the success of the best of HR in both the private and public sector, at Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London, last night.
The honour follows on from the council’s apprenticeship success at the enei (Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion) Awards earlier this year.
The council’s apprenticeship scheme, which is now in its second year and third wave, has successfully increased employment opportunities for young people in the borough, and welcomed young people from underrepresented groups with little or no work experience.
In order to make sure this happened, Croydon implemented innovative recruitment practices such as utilising social media platforms, simplifying the application process and providing group assessment days to allow candidates, who may struggle with a formal interview, to demonstrate their strengths.
Those recruiting were also told to look at the potential of those applying as opposed to experience, which is recognised as an example of good practice by the Learning and Work Institute.
The apprentices, who are ambassadors for the council, are also asked to speak in schools to students and young people to further break down socio-economic barriers. They also are the face of the council’s Choose Your Future campaign, which supports young people to make positive choices and give them access to opportunities.
“It’s an honour to win at the Personnel Today awards – congratulations to all of our apprentices and officers for their hard work and commitment.
“We’re really proud of our apprentices and the work they do, as well as the officers that work tirelessly to support them.
“We’ve put together a holistic and robust programme made up of activities, events and training to ensure our apprentices receive opportunities to grow into well-rounded individuals, which not only benefits us as a council, but the people we serve too.
“Congratulations once again to everyone that helped us win this award.”
Councillor Manju Shahul-Hameed, cabinet member for economy and jobs
