Brighton & Hove City Council Competing to be crowned Apprentice Team of the Year 2017

Members of the BAC17 team

Brighton & Hove City Council has entered the Brathay Apprentice Challenge (#BAC17), the search for the apprentice team of the year.

Now in its sixth year, the Brathay Apprentice Challenge 2017 sees teams undertake a series of exciting and interactive work-related challenges to develop new skills and showcase their employer by engaging with young people and businesses to promote the benefits of apprenticeships.

The council team consists of apprentices from Planning, ICT, Programme Management Office, Environmental Protection, Child Development, Communications and Skills and Employment.

Team Leader, Georgia Easteal, said: “I'm very excited for the Brathay Apprentice Challenge this year, we have a great team of apprentices from a variety of roles and I am very much looking forward to working alongside them over the next couple of months.”

Over the next few months the apprentices will be organising lots of events, such as school visits, meeting with employers and doing a community project to help them win the Challenge and promote apprenticeships along the way.

Pinaki Ghoshal, Director of Families Children & Learning, said: “The Brathay Apprentice Challenge not only allows the current apprentices to develop a huge range of skills that will help them further their careers but also creates an opportunity for apprenticeships to be promoted to schools and businesses.

“It will be great to see our team progress through this challenge and I wish them the best of luck.”

Teams initially compete on a regional level with eight teams then progressing to the National Finals with the Challenge culminating in a four day Logistical and Team Building Finale at Brathay Trust’s Windermere headquarters from 12 – 15 June 2017.

The apprentice team of the year 2017 will then be announced on 14 June.

The challenges are designed to ensure that the teams demonstrate their team building, leadership, logistical and communications abilities. With teams working together on the Brathay Apprentice Challenge, the apprentices and employers benefit from an enhanced apprenticeship experience.

Follow the team’s progress on Twitter @BHapprentices

For more information on the Brathay Apprentice Challenge visit brathay.com/challenge

New apprentices join council nurseries

Five new apprentices have joined the council’s nurseries.

Whilst studying towards their Early Years Educator Level 3 qualification they will be working with children aged from 0-5 years.

Their role will be to support the children in their learning and development and ensuring the children receive excellent care.

The apprentices will be learning the curriculum the nurseries use called the Early Years Foundation Stage which includes how to support children’s learning and the policies and procedures that must be followed to ensure quality care for the children and positive relationships with the families.

Joining the nursery teams are:

Ian Godley at Acorn Nursery

Codie Dawes and Liberty Taylor at Cherry Tree Nursery

George Verrall at Jump Start Nursery

Meg Wakefield at Bright Start Nursery

Pinaki Ghoshal, Director of Children’s Services, said: “I am extremely pleased to learn that we have appointed 5 people to work in our nurseries as apprentices. I’m particularly pleased that they are doing Level 3 courses that should provide them with qualifications to work in any nursery across the city.

“They will be supporting young children in their learning and development whilst also earning a wage. When they qualify they should be able to use these skills to work over many years educating future generations of young children across the city.”