Local Government Apprentice of the Year 2026

Andrianna: I definitely would recommend it. I feel it's a great chance to put yourself out of your comfort zone. It was great getting to know different people and learn from them. And to really review my skills in an atmosphere of encouragement and not really any judgement either. 

Audrey: It was just in the end a thoroughly enjoyable event where you got time to speak to a lot of people that you wouldn't have spoken to before. You gained information on a lot of subjects that you might not have thought of asking.

Chantelle: I found it really interesting meeting all the other apprentices and finding out, not only what their job roles were within their local authorities, but also what their apprenticeship qualifications were in too. And it also gave me some ideas and examples to bring back to my own authority to potentially implement them within our own district. 

Karla: Since I joined West Sussex County Council and participated in the Apprentice of the Year awards, I've actually managed to secure two promotions and I feel that a lot of that is as a direct result of being able to gain recognition.

Sean: It's priceless at the end of the event, where you see everyone celebrating or clapping for the overall winner or the team winners. You really do feel part of something. And it's nice to feel valued by your own council and I'd definitely recommend it. 

The 'Apprentice of the year - find out more' webinar was an opportunity for interested participants and managers to ask questions about the event. 

A full transcription is available on request.

The event took place on 20 and 21 May 2025.

• Tuesday 20 May – worked in teams through a series of local government challenges
• Wednesday 21 May – attendance with line manager to celebrate the successes of the previous day with awards and crowning of the Local Government Apprentice of the Year.

This event was held online to make it as accessible to as many participants as possible. Participants were invited to attend a Zoom call.

This online event is open to all Level 2 and Level 3 apprentices in local government across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This includes all current apprentices or those recently qualified within last 12 months (both apprentices that were new starters to the organisation as well as existing employees upskilling via an apprenticeship).

There is a charge of £149 to the council for each apprentice taking part to contribute towards the costs of running this large-scale event.

This is a unique opportunity to develop your skills and collaborate with apprentice peers from across the country in a fun, safe and well-supported environment.

Your engagement and support is crucial to encourage apprentices to sign up for this event. Don’t miss this opportunity to empower and recognise outstanding talent in your council or the chance for one of your apprentices to take the coveted Local Government Apprentice of the Year ‘crown’.

This local government-challenge style event will see participants undertake a series of activities designed to mirror real-life decision making by councils. Based on some of the core principles of the 21st century public servant model, and following this year’s theme (to be announced), apprentices will work alongside and compete against like-minded peers for this prestigious title.

It is an opportunity to support apprentices to develop the “skills for life” and knowledge to build a successful and rewarding career and to help local government employers build a workforce with future ready skills.

In this event, apprentices are assigned to teams of up to 10 and on day 1 each team takes part in a variety of activities aimed to develop successful workplace behaviours, linked to a range of apprenticeship Standards.

Apprentices are invited back for the second morning for an opportunity to celebrate together and crown our winners, along with a special guest speaker. We are extending this invite to line managers of apprentices taking part too, so they can celebrate with us.

But the event doesn’t just stop there. After the event, participants receive an individual report with their scores for each activity and an Employer Checklist with suggested questions for line managers to use with their apprentices to help shape a discussion linking the events activities to their workplace role and to the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours covered in their apprenticeship standard.

Don’t wait – register your apprentices now to experience all that this event has to offer!

If you would like to know more about the Local Government Apprentice of the Year event, view the Frequently Asked Questions.