Beth and the council go for glory

Beth Mills a finalist in the Apprentice of the Year Greater Manchester final

It could be double honours for Oldham in the National Apprenticeship Awards this month.

Oldham Council is the winner of the large employer category in the North-West stage of the awards, and now goes forward to be judged against other category winners for the title of North West Apprentice Employer of the year.

And planning administrator Beth Mills (21), from Failsworth, has been selected as a finalist in the Apprentice of the Year category and will go forward to the Greater Manchester final. If successful she too will be off to the North-West final.

Beth does the off-the-job studying for her apprenticeship at OTC Consultancy Ltd on Lees Road, Oldham.

The awards are on May 14 at Manchester Town Hall and will be hosted by TV presenter Konnie Huq. Over the past decade the council has recruited 96 young people and currently employs 24 apprentices.

Cabinet member for finance and resources, Councillor Lynne Thompson, said: “This is excellent news and a real vote of confidence in the council’s well-established apprenticeship scheme that does so much to ensure that the council has a strong and sustainable culture of training and employment

“It is also a tremendous tribute to the people that really matter in all of this which is the apprentices themselves, who are are involved in every area of the council’s business.

“From administration to horticulture, to social care, our apprentices are there working and making a difference.”