At Bath College, we provide vocational and academic courses in a wide range of subjects and we can help you to find a suitable course to make sure you have the knowledge and skills for your chosen career.

As the largest provider of apprenticeships in Bath and North East Somerset, we also offer excellent opportunities for young people to earn and learn on the job.

Our City Centre Campus gives students the opportunity to be in the middle of Bath’s vibrant atmosphere, which is easily accessible from Bristol, Wiltshire and the surrounding areas. Courses available include art and design, photography, business, hospitality and catering, hairdressing, complementary therapy, health and social care, IT, media, music and sport.

Based in Radstock, Bath College’s Somer Valley campus offers a rural setting for a wide range of courses. The beautiful campus grounds house the Animal Care, Animal Management and Veterinary courses and provides the perfect location for horticulture apprentices to train.

The Somer Valley Campus is home to a state of the art Construction Skills Centre. It has large Electric, Engineering, Carpentry, Brickwork, Stonemasonry, Woodwork, Plumbing and Refrigeration workshops as well as a purpose-built Painting & Decorating centre and Motor Vehicle workshop.

Bath College also has a large number of Foundation Learning Programmes for learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and a new SEND centre at Somer Valley Campus.

GKN Aerospace is one of the world’s largest independent first tier suppliers to the global aviation industry with 15,000 employees in 41 manufacturing locations across 13 countries. From lightweight Aerostructures to advanced engine systems, our technology is on-board some of the largest passenger planes in the world, business jets, helicopters and military aircraft, improving the performance and efficiency of more than 100,000 flights every day.

In the South West GKN Aerospace employs over 1,400 people and aerospace apprenticeships are integral to our business and strategy. Despite the impact of the pandemic in 2020, 10 new apprentices joined our team, bringing our current total to 81 apprentices currently in learning. We are also in the process of recruiting a further 14, which will then bring the total to 95. They have embarked on a variety of training programmes including Human Resources, Production, Technician and Engineering Degree level Apprenticeships. This will help ensure that we have the skilled workforce we require in order to meet our future commitments to our customers and build a sustainable business fit for the future.

Furthermore, GKN Aerospace has also committed to share a percentage of its unspent Levy funds as part of the #SharetoSupport campaign, run in partnership with the West of England Combined Authority. The unspent apprenticeship levy that GKN Aerospace have pledged will help SMEs in the West of England region provide opportunities for local people through apprenticeship skills training. It is hoped that this support will help aid the recovery of businesses in the region through skills support and generating new employment opportunities.

We are pleased to once again be supporting the awards during 2022. BristolLive and BathLive continues to share the same values as ourselves, championing Apprenticeship programmes here in the South West.

The first new nuclear power station to be built in the UK in over 20 years, Hinkley Point C in Somerset will provide low-carbon electricity for around 6 million homes, create thousands of jobs and bring lasting benefits to the UK economy.

Marking a significant milestone in the revitalisation of our nuclear power industry, it will make a major contribution to the UK’s move to achieve net zero.

Our aspiration is to create 1,000 apprenticeships over the course of construction. The wide range of skills required to build the power station means there really is opportunity for everyone. EDF apprentices will also play a crucial role in operating and maintaining the power station throughout its 60 years of operation.

Hinkley Point C may be in Somerset, but it’s being built by companies and workers from across the country. 64% of the construction value of the project will be spent with UK companies. British businesses supporting new nuclear range from big to many small and medium enterprises. Their appetite to succeed, innovate and deliver to a very high quality is impressive.

For many companies, the contracts are helping them gain new skills and expertise which is boosting their competitiveness and the nation’s industrial capacity.

Our proposal for a near identical project, Sizewell C in Suffolk, would bring similar UK-wide benefits – not only to the UK supply chain, but also through employment opportunities, skills and training provision, the creation of 1,500 apprenticeships and investment in local infrastructure.

Hunter Selection are an independent Engineering, Manufacturing, Service and Technology Recruitment consultancy founded in 2004.

We have grown organically over the years, working across a national network of regional offices, supported by the senior leadership team who started the business and still build the business on the same values we started with…

Teamwork & Community, Trust & Respect and Determination & Enjoyment – these genuinely run through everything we do and everything we stand for. Our employees stay and build their careers with us because of our ethos, values and the careers we offer.

Our vision for company growth stems from these values. We are extremely proud to have been able to transfer a significant portion of the ownership of the company to our employees through an Employee Benefit Trust which really encapsulates our aspirations and investment in our employees and our growth.

We strive to build long-lasting relationships with everyone we work with and pride ourselves on our personal & professional service. Hunter Selection understands that recruitment is an arduous task for employers and prospective employees alike. Our aim is to take the hassle away and add value to the recruitment process – and to link exceptional businesses with exceptional talent.

Hunter Selection has sponsored the Bristol Live & Bristol Post Apprenticeship Awards for the last eight years and we are proud to continue our support; recognising the talent of our region in 2022.

MBDA is the only European defence group capable of designing and producing missiles and missile systems to meet the whole range of current and future needs for each branch of the armed forces (air, sea, land).

We are a multi-national group with more than 12.000 employees working together across France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom and within the USA.

Our Vision is to be the European missile systems champion and global player.
Our Mission is to operate as a trusted part of the defence community in our home nations and with their allies. Providing decisive military capability to protect national security and enable strategic independence.
Our values are:
Innovation – ensuring operational advantage,
Commitment – always delivering on our promises
Integrity - a reliable and trusted partner with the highest professional and ethical standards
Passion – applying all our energy and focus to every task, recognising our role in providing mission critical capabilities
Team spirit – harnessing our diversity and collective purpose to deliver competitive advantage to all our stakeholders.
MBDA is a joint venture of three European leaders in aerospace and defence: Airbus (37.5%), BAE Systems (37.5%) and Leonardo (25%).

“We’re thrilled to be the Sponsor for the Outstanding Apprentice of the Year Award 2022. So, a bit about us…

The National Apprenticeship Show hosts 7 annual events across England which bring Apprenticeship employers and training providers together with year 11, 12, and 13 students. These events reach more School and College leavers, parents, carers and individuals than any other event of its kind.

We know that Apprenticeships work for both employers and candidates alike and this has been proven through the multitude of Apprentices that our exhibitors have recruited through these events. We work with a variety of companies that operate in different industries across England, some of which include Royal Mail, Rolls Royce, Greene King, Marston’s, Mitchells & Butlers, KIER, The British Army, AstraZeneca and many more.

Our upcoming West of England event is taking place at Ashton Gate, Bristol on the 28-29 September 2022 and will see between 6,000-8,000 relevant year 11, 12 and 13 students. If you’re looking to promote your Apprenticeship offering and recruit for your programmes, then please email josie@nasevents.co.uk or call 0208 159 2415.”

Professional Apprenticeships is a Technology and Business Apprenticeship Provider based in Bristol and working across the Southwest. We deliver a range of qualifications including ICT, Digital Marketing, Business and Management. Professional Apprenticeships scored the highest grade possible in their recent Ofsted monitoring visit and is known for going above and beyond for its Apprentices and Employers.

Ofsted July 2021 “Apprentices are very ambitious and highly motivated. They are supported well by highly qualified and enthusiastic tutors. Tutors use their specialist vocational experience and highly effective assessment practice to teach apprentices well. As a result, apprentices rapidly develop substantial new knowledge, skills, and behaviours that have a beneficial impact on their employers’ businesses”.

Professional Apprenticeships was founded by former apprentices and we strongly believe that a well-planned and delivered apprenticeship can be life changing. At professional apprenticeships we go above and beyond to support our apprentices through the application process offering interview and CV workshops to help applicants represent the best version of them self at interview. We build long lasting and supportive relationships with businesses as we really get to know the companies we work with. This allows us to recruit more effectively and maintain high retention rates of our apprentices.

As last year’s winner of the Apprenticeships Provider Of The Year Award, Professional
Apprenticeships are proud to be sponsoring the Bristol and Bath Apprenticeship awards once again. The Award did a lot to raise our profile last year and is great being part of a fantastic ceremony which recognises the outstanding work Providers, Employers and Apprentices put in every day.”

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College (SGS), has four main campuses – Stroud, Filton, WISE and Berkeley Green as well as many local community venues, and we welcome around 15,500 full-time and part-time students of all ages every year. We also have venues in the centre of Bristol, at the West of England Academy of Art and at the Bristol Zoo & Gardens.
Our campuses are based in state-of-the-art buildings in great locations – Filton and WISE are within easy reach of the centre of Bristol, while our Stroud and Berkeley campuses are based in the beautiful five valleys, in the county of Gloucestershire.
We offer a vast range of courses in an even wider range of subjects – from business to health and social care, and from construction to music – there is something for everyone.
What’s more, SGS has an excellent reputation for delivering work-based programmes, such as apprenticeships, higher apprenticeships and professional training
A strong partnership with the University of Gloucestershire means excellent opportunities for those wishing to enter higher education.

Strode College supports employers to take advantage of growth opportunities in the region. Our Employer Engagement Team has a substantial track record of working with businesses locally and nationally to meet their needs for workforce training and continuing professional development. We offer apprenticeships, traineeships, Entry Level to Foundation Degree qualifications and bespoke training. Our Approach is to complete a FREE training needs Analysis for all of our employers to ensure that we provide training tailored to their specific requirements

We build enduring partnerships with our business customers, creating a lasting relationship that provides possibilities for individual progression from Entry Level to Foundation Degree qualifications. Strode College are proud to support businesses to take on an Apprentice as Apprenticeships are a great way of bringing new talent into your business and with new government incentives, businesses will be eligible for up to £4,000 for each new apprentice employed.

Wessex Water is the country’s leading water and sewerage company for customer service and environmental performance, serving 2.8 million customers across the area.
Our apprenticeship strategy is led by the business need to secure economic growth and encourage the next generation into our excellent careers. In an ever-growing business, the wider Wessex Water group is diversifying into other ventures. It is essential to develop our talent and consider our succession planning. We have identified apprenticeships as a key route to recruit, train and develop talent. We have around 200 apprentices within the business group.

We want our apprentices to reflect our community, and we strive to introduce innovative approaches to recruitment, training and inclusion. Our inventive recruitment process allows for social mobility, a driving agenda for the business. As part of our recruitment promotions, we visit a variety of places from schools to job centres, pupil referral units and young offender institutions – we want to ensure everyone can apply. Over the last three years we have seen a significant increase in the demographics of apprentices within the business, creating a business wide appetite for life-long learning.
There are many apprenticeship programmes run throughout the company; ranging from Level 2 Water Networks to the Quantity Surveying Degree Apprenticeship. Over half of our apprentices are new to the business, while the remainder are existing staff using the apprenticeship learning approach to develop skills and knowledge and further their careers.
The success of our apprenticeship programmes is largely down to the efforts of the apprentices themselves and our apprentice mentors, who are the unsung heroes. Without the support of the experienced workforce our apprentices wouldn’t develop and achieve in the way they do. Due to the support within the business we have a long and strong apprenticeship history, contributing to an exciting future.

Weston College is a leading training provider – rated outstanding by Ofsted and consistently one of the top-performing colleges in the country. At Weston College we are committed to apprenticeships – growing the provision for both learners and employers, to meet the changing needs of employers across Bristol, Bath and beyond. Over the last year we have continued to buck the national trend with apprenticeships, training over 1,800 apprentices, for over 800 employers regionally.

We are known for our success, with recent accolades such as; the Queen’s Anniversary Prize (for creating world-class facilities and delivering aspirational provision to over 1,000 students requiring additional support) two Association of Colleges’ Beacon Awards (for Widening Participation in Learning and for our work with students who have Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities), Lloyds Bank Employer of the Year, ‘Inclusion in Employment’ Award and the national SEND apprenticeship champions.

We have created industry specific training centres, to support growth in the region and provide world class facilities for young talent.

Apprenticeships provide a fantastic platform for learners to gain a real insight into employment. Weston College actively promotes careers not courses and this is why we are committed to creating opportunities, across all sectors, to meet the needs of employers in the region.

As advocates for apprenticeships, we’re delighted to sponsor this year’s event and are looking forward to celebrating the fantastic work by both employers and apprentices over the last 12 months. We were proud winners of Apprenticeship Provider of the Year in 2018, 2019 and 2020, and want to continue our commitment to developing people across Bristol and the region.