Apprentices shine in charity ‘bake-off’

The contestants presented their cakes before a judging panel including council Leader Ian Hudspeth, BBC Oxford’s Lilly Mitchell and former British Army apprentice Melissa Haynes.

The event, at County Hall, kicked off National Apprenticeship Week and raised money for Yellow Submarine, which supports young people with learning disabilities. The local charity employs apprentices and trainees in its cafes in Oxford and Witney – some of whom took part in the bake-off.

Apprentices at the council, NatWest Bank, Oxford University and 3aaa Oxford also locked horns in the contest, with Apprentice Ambassador Hattie Partington emerging as the winner.

The 24-year-old, who recently completed a Data Apprenticeship at the county council, impressed the judges with her orange-frosted carrot cake.

Great option

Hattie said: “Doing an apprenticeship has been a great option for me and has given me fantastic prospects. I came into it as a way of retraining and learning new skills, and am really glad that I did.

"Being an Apprenticeship Ambassador gives me the opportunity to talk to other young people about the many benefits of becoming an Apprentice, and I’m looking forward to spreading the word during National Apprenticeship Week.”

She added: “I also love watching the Great British Bake Off on telly, so this was a brilliant chance for me to test out my own baking skills.”

Cllr Hudspeth said: “I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to celebrate the success of some of Oxfordshire’s multi-talented Apprentices whilst enjoying some fabulous cakes. Apprentices are a fantastic asset, both to the county council and to Oxfordshire as a whole. Many thanks to everyone who helped support wonderful local charity Yellow Submarine by coming along and buying a delicious cake.”

National awareness week and torch campaign

An Olympic-style torch, engineered by apprentices and symbolising the passing of knowledge from one generation to the next, has been touring the Thames Valley in the run up to National Apprenticeship Week.

The #PassTheTorch campaign, launched by the Skills Funding Agency, sets out to celebrate the achievements of apprentices and encourage local employers to pledge their commitment to taking on apprentices.

Find out what else is happening around the county for National Apprenticeship Week

Oxfordshire Apprenticeships

Oxfordshire Apprenticeships is a joint initiative between Oxfordshire County Council and Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership funded by Oxfordshire City Deal.

The team raises awareness of the benefits of Apprenticeships with young people, their families and local employers.

Find out more at www.oxfordshireapprenticeships.co.uk. Like them on Facebook /OxfordshireApprenticeships or follow them on Twitter @OxonApprentice for latest Apprenticeship news and events.

Join the National Apprenticeship Week conversation at #NAW2016.