FInd out how you can join award-winning Wakefield Council as an apprentice

Ambitious people are being urged to apply for the roles which give people opportunities to launch, or grow, their career and develop their skills through working and studying whilst getting paid.

Partnership officer, Heather Oddy, joined the council as a 17-year-old business administration apprentice and has worked her way up, taking on increasing levels of responsibility.

Her current role involves facilitating partnership working between the Council’s Adult Social Care Service and the NHS, to deliver business support services that provide vital support to vulnerable people in the district.

Heather, aged 26, said: “I would encourage anyone who is keen to learn and wants to grow their skills to apply for a Council apprenticeship.

"When I was 17, I was ready to be in a work environment and I’m so glad I joined the Council, as I knew university wasn’t the path I wanted to take.

“The apprenticeship gave me a very good grounding to understand adult social care, and how the teams operates.

“I’ve learnt so much whilst working within the service and have taken opportunities which have helped me to grow and gain the confidence to develop my career, to apply for promotion, and take on roles with increasing levels responsibility. I would recommend this route to others.”

Council apprenticeships are available at different levels – up to degree level - and offer people the chance to broaden their experience and education in ways that enable the Council to deliver services and support residents and

communities.

Currently, the Council is advertising for administration support, technical office support, personal assistant, marketing and revenues and benefits apprenticeships.

Cllr Michelle Collins, Cabinet Member for Resources, said: “Heather is a great example of someone who has used her apprenticeship as a springboard for a successful career.

"We want to recruit and employ a wide range of talent from our local communities, and we provide great training and experience to help people grow and develop their careers.

“Year on year around 95 per cent of our apprentices go on to gain permanent employment or move into further education, which is a great record.”

The closing date for applications is Sunday September 18 2022 for apprenticeships.

For more information see Apprenticeships at Wakefield Council here.