Scottish Apprenticeship Challenge 2018

EMPLOYER FACTSHEET

The Scottish Apprenticeship Challenge recognises the skills and creativity of apprentices and allows them to showcase their contribution to the local community.

The main objectives of the challenge are:

  • To demonstrate the quality of apprentices employed in the West
  • To promote the benefits of apprenticeships
  • To forge links between local companies and local communities
  • To encourage more young people to consider an apprenticeship
  • To help apprentices develop additional skills

The challenge is open to companies with staff currently following an Apprenticeship Framework. The company/apprentice(s) should identify a project which benefits the local community. Individual apprentices or teams of apprentices (up to 8 apprentices in a team) can participate, depending upon the project being undertaken.

A maximum of 40 hours should be spent on this project (including planning) over a three-month period. Therefore, this could break down to half a day per month.

A maximum of £750 can be spent on the project, to help provide fair comparison. This does not include the value of materials or time spent.

Previous projects which have been undertaken include;

  • Upgrading of nursery school play equipment
  • Information leaflet promoting a local community
  • Creating environmental educational tours of business facilities for school teachers
  • Make a sensory table for care home residents suffering with dementia and Alzheimer’s
  • Refurbishing the entrance to a city farm
  • Holding a music event to raise money for a local homeless charity

More information about last year’s three regional winners can be found here

Benefits for employers

  • Supports the local community and delivers on Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Helps raise the profile of the business
  • Enables the business to improve the skills of each apprentice e.g. soft skills such as team work and learning about different aspects of delivering a project
  • Can be incorporated into existing partnership with a local charity or organisation, to build on the relationship and support.

Benefits to apprentices

  • Supports Continuous Professional Development
  • Help the local community
  • Gain additional skills
  • Learn about other parts of the business

Entry Requirements

The awards are open to companies of all sizes in Edinburgh, Midlothian & East Lothianwith staff currently following a Foundation, Modern or Graduate Apprenticeship. Your project can be as large or as small as you like but must fit within the criteria outlined above. It may be a project that is undertaken with an existing charitable partner or a new beneficiary identified by the team.

As part of the project, participating teams must submit a report and present on their project at our Presentation Ceremony in October 2018.

Registration must be received by Friday 18thMayand the challenge should be completed and report submitted by Friday 5thOctober.

Support materials

Teams will be provided with a toolkit that helps them to deliver their projects.

This includes guidelines on what and how to document their project, what to include in the report and a media pack to help self-promote the activity.

Judging Criteria

Judging of entries will be based upon the criteria specified and therefore all entrants should cover all of these points in their submission. A clear, honest evaluation of the effectiveness of the project is an essential part of each entry, and without this element an entry cannot be considered by the judges.

The report should include:

  • Project objectives
  • Overview of the project and project plan
  • Details on how the project benefitted the local community
  • Details of the use of skills and development of new skills from apprentice(s)
  • Finances and source of budget (if applicable)
  • Details of staffing support
  • Photographs of project development
  • Team photograph
  • Short film to show the project development (3 min max)
  • Contact information for community project, employer and team, including testimonial from beneficiary
  • Work-diary detailing hours utilised/time sheet

Further guidance will be provided in terms of areas to cover in the report when detailing elements of the project.

All teams will be invited to a Presentation Ceremony in October 2018 where they will present on their project to a panel of judges and wider audience. All apprentices will receive a certificate to acknowledge their achievement.

The categories for the awards will include Most Innovative Project, Best Presentation, Best Report and an Overall Winner who will progress on to the Scottish Apprenticeship Challenge National Awards,to be held during Scottish Apprenticeship Week (4-8 March 2019).

National winner

All regional winning teams will gather together to present on their projects at an event held by Skills Development Scotland during Scottish Apprenticeship Week (4-8 March 2019).

Judges will take into account the presentation alongside the full entry materials to decide on a national winner.

Employers, project beneficiaries and delivery partners will also be invited to attend the event.

Submission Details

Reports should be submitted either electronically or in hard copy format (3copies required) to either the address below NO LATER THAN 12 Noon onFriday 5th October.