At Abingdon & Witney College we have a dedicated employer engagement team, Advanced Business Solutions (ABS), based at Milton Park, Abingdon.

In addition to supporting apprenticeship frameworks, we are able to offer tailormade short courses to suit your specific business needs, delivered either at Milton Park or in the workplace. If you have identified a skills gap in your workforce we can work together to design and plan a programme to meet your budget and business objectives.

We currently offer and support apprenticeships in the following industries: hairdressing; construction; health and social care; horticulture; accounting; motor vehicle; customer service; business administration; and engineering.

Employers wishing to recruit an apprentice should contact the college on 01235 861706 to register the vacancy.

What our apprentices say: Å “It’s hard work and not an easy thing to complete but it applied to our job role really well and therefore helps me to do my job better.”

* “Having a qualification relevant to your work history will put you at an advantage when you are competing against others for jobs in the future.”

* “Having had a job, it was difficult to go back into education, so the apprenticeship has been great for me as I can work and learn at the same time.”

* “It has given me great confidence and the staff are always there to help. It is such a friendly environment.”

What our employers say: * “The main driving forces in our company are quality of service and exceeding customer expectations. The Customer Service Apprenticeship is clearly an ideal vehicle to help us achieve that.”

* “The great thing about these qualifications is that they are work based so they apply to what the apprentices are doing day-to-day.”

* “I would definitely roll this training programme out again and recommend apprenticeships to fellow employers.”

* “This scheme has benefitted both the company and individuals and we look forward to putting more employees through the scheme later this year.”

100 in 100 campaign success: In response to the Oxfordshire 100 in 100 campaign, around 20 local employers with no previous connections to the college have enquired about the apprenticeship scheme and expressed an interest in recruiting an apprentice to their company.

One such employer is Ian Jones, Estate Manager of a local manor house.

He said: “I think the apprenticeship scheme is a fantastic idea and offers a great deal for the apprentice and employer alike. I feel strongly that employers should be encouraging young people to seriously consider an apprenticeship as an alternative to higher education.

“In my line of work I need intelligent, enthusiastic staff with the ideal combination of educational qualifications and practical hands-on experience.

“If they come to me as an apprentice they will get that practical experience, earn money and add a qualification to their CV all in one hit – and I gain an eager and committed new team member. It’s the ideal package.”