The Government-backed initiative runs from 6 to 12 February to promote the benefits of apprenticeships to both employees and employers.

The council currently has seven apprentices within the organisation, including Liam Benton, 22, from Edwinstowe, who works in the Marketing and Communications department as a Digital Marketing Apprentice and combines his office job with studying for a level 3 qualification.

He said: “Since I started my apprenticeship in May 2022 and I haven’t looked back. I have already learnt so much in my time here, not just digital skills and techniques but also about local democracy and the wider council function.

“My apprenticeship has opened the door to so many opportunities in digital marketing for me, and I can’t wait for what the future holds.

“An apprenticeship is available to anyone of any age who wants to learn and succeed, and the biggest myth is that people may think it refers to someone straight from school and on a very low wage – this is not the case, and I would encourage everyone to read up what is out there and to just go for it.”

Liam heard about the opportunity through the job-seeker platform Indeed in May 2022 and previously worked at Tesco in the bakery before joining the authority in a digital-focused role.

The council will use National Apprenticeship Week to showcase this kind of training and education option as part of the authority’s wider strategy to raise the aspirations of local people and boost regeneration and prosperity in the district.

For another council trainee, Emily Pegg, 18, from Skegby, her apprenticeship path started in Customer Services and the Licencing department, where she is now studying the Customer Service Practitioner level 2 qualification.

She said: “I mentioned to my tutor the course I was doing at the time I wasn’t particularly enjoying, and they advised me to speak to the apprenticeship team at the college.

“I’d not thought about an apprenticeship before, let alone at the council, but as soon as I discussed it with the council’s skills team and my family, I knew I needed to try it out.

“I would encourage anybody to go for it, the wealth of experience you get in the role has been invaluable to me. When I started and saw some of the licencing procedures I would have to do, I thought there was no way I could do this. But now, almost a year on, I’m doing it, issuing licences to cosmetic piercing venues, and conducting visits with other officers.

“The great thing about apprenticeships is that you’re not tied to one skill or job. You can build your skill set across various services and sectors which acts as a platform for your next move.

“Also, building relationships with people here has helped me to come out of my shell. Usually, I would gravitate to people my age, but working with others has prepared me for the real working world.”

The council will be promoting success stories, events, training opportunities and career pathways during the week on its social media channels, as well as myth-busting, to encourage local people and businesses to take advantage of the support and opportunities open to them.

Apprentice Rebecca Slinger, 26, from Bull Farm, started with the council through the Government-backed Kickstart initiative in August 2021 and then enrolled in an apprenticeship in February 2022 to study Customer Service Practitioner level 2.

She said: “I’m really enjoying my job. I help Environmental Health with service requests, answer phone calls, fill in questionnaires and pass them to other team members to investigate – it’s so varied.

“Working, learning new skills and getting paid is the best part of an apprenticeship, it is also opening the door to other career options for me.

“I’ve also developed on a personal level too, especially with my telephone skills, when I started, I was petrified of speaking to people, but my team have helped build my confidence and helped me a lot, now I can do it no problem.

“Ask anyone who knows me, two years ago, when I was here, I hardly spoke to anyone and was very shy, now I have come out of my shell and speak to all our departments. This apprenticeship is helping me with my confidence.”

Councillor Stuart Richardson, portfolio holder for Regeneration and Growth, said: “By highlighting just some of our fantastic apprentices within the council, we hope it shows to some young people in the town what kind of opportunities we have here. You can broaden your skill set, improve your confidence, and get paid all whilst being an apprentice – what is there not to like?

“Apprenticeships within the council keep local people in jobs and attracts talent into the area, too. We want this to be an area where people can achieve and go into good well paid jobs.”

There is more information about apprenticeships on the council website at: https://www.mansfield.gov.uk/NAW