Apprentices battle to be crowned winner of nationwide competition.

A group of young apprentices from Mondelēz International are gearing up for the Brathay Apprenticeship Challenge – a competition which aims to find the apprentice team of the year across the UK.

Supported by National Apprenticeship Service and run by Brathay Trust, the competition which runs from January until July sees 700 apprentices take part in the challenge, and provides an opportunity to demonstrate the quality of apprentices and the contribution they make to their employer’s success.

The nine engineer apprentices from Bournville, the home of Cadbury, must compete against 80 other teams in order to prove they have the best team building, logistical, leadership and community skills to be in with a chance of gaining a place in the semi-final in May. If successful, eight finalist teams will then battle it out to be crowned Apprentice Team of the Year in July.

Over the last few months, the apprentices have focused their efforts on inspiring the next generation of apprentices through community and volunteering projects. So far, the 18-26 year olds have participated in career events for the year 9, 10 and 11 students at Archibishop Ilsley Catholic School and Sixth Form Centre and Colmers School and Sixth Form College in Birmingham. They also worked with local students at Birmingham Metropolitan College who are considering a career in engineering.

Adam Ravenscroft, a fourth year engineering apprentice at the Bournville site and the current Food and Drink Federation Apprentice of the Year, explains: “Taking part in the Brathay Apprenticeship Challenge has been such a rewarding experience and has provided us with a great opportunity to inspire and share our experiences as apprentices. It has also helped us support local young people to explore their options and find out more about the career benefits of becoming an apprentice.

“Being an apprentice at Mondelēz International has been an incredible journey so far and this challenge has allowed me to strengthen my time management and organisation skills, which has helped prepare me for work life further. We are all looking forward to the next couple of months and can’t wait for the semi-final!”

During the next few weeks, the apprentices will be hosting Your Future, You Choose – an event designed to provide young people in care with a practical and interactive opportunity to learn more about the range of careers and industries available to them.

The individuals will also be volunteering at The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Fair on Wednesday 11th to Saturday 14th March at the NEC, as part of the Food and Drink Federation Taste Success stand which will give young people the chance to speak to the apprentices first-hand about their experience.

The team has also arranged for a group of local students from Birmingham Metropolitan College to participate in a work shadow programme at the Mondelēz International site in Bournville to help them gain an insight into life as an apprentice.

Kelly Farrell, community affairs manager at Mondelēz International, added: “Apprentices play a huge role at Mondelēz and they are a great inspiration to other young individuals across the city. We are really proud to be part of the Brathay Apprentice Challenge as it gives apprentices the chance to broaden their skills and be part of something creative outside of the workforce.

“We know they have worked extremely hard and have given 100% to the tasks so far. We wish them all the best for the upcoming challenges and the semi-final.”

The eight semi-finalist teams will take part in further awareness raising and fundraising activities, with the challenge culminating in a logistical and team building finale at Brathay Trust’s Ambleside headquarters from Monday, 6th to Wednesday, 8th July. For more information, please visit: www.brathay.org.uk.

Mondelēz International currently employs over 70 apprentices across its UK sites and has been recognised for its efforts in growing young people’s skills throughout their careers. Last year they were recognised in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list. For more information, visit: www.mondelezinternational.com or www.mdlzearlycareers.co.uk