SITU Apprentice, Teya Agnese, co-hosts the Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards 2021

After being honoured to win the Oxfordshire Apprentice of the Year Award 2020, I was delighted to have been invited to be a part of the Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards committee for 2021. This involved helping to plan, organise and set up the virtual event, share ideas and best of all... to co-host the virtual awards ceremony with Simon from Darke and Taylor, working with the brilliant media partner Oxford Media Factory.

Katie Chegwin, Oxfordshire Apprentice of the Year 2018, interviewing Teya Agnese. 

how did the Awards ceremony go and what was it like going live?

Overall, the Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards ceremony was a huge success and I feel so lucky to have been able to co-host this year's awards. The OxLEP team, the awards committee, and Oxford Media Factory were a pleasure to work with. On the night, I had a lot of fun presenting and I was so excited to be able to celebrate all the talented apprentices. However, just before we were about to go live I was a bundle of a mixture of nerves and excitement. But as the award ceremony progressed and we began awarding the deserving apprentices and businesses, I began to feel a lot more comfortable and a 90-minute virtual ceremony flew by in what felt like 10 minutes. The team at Oxford Media Factory and Simon from Darke and Taylor were wonderful to work with.

What activities to promote apprenticeships have you been involved in since winning last year?

Despite COVID-19 restrictions, I have still been offered opportunities to get involved in promoting apprenticeships as an ambassador. I worked with a team of great OxLep Apprentice Ambassadors and we created video vlogs about our apprenticeships, offering advice and providing others with an insight into the apprenticeship world. These clips were shared on YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn. 

Watch the clips we filmed about our apprenticeships on YouTube. 

I also presented over ZOOM to over 100 parents and carers about apprenticeships and my mum kindly attended to offer our audience a parent perspective of the apprenticeship scheme. 

Watch an introduction to apprenticeships for Oxfordshire parents and carers on YouTube. 

what  Opportunities HAVE came from being Apprentice of the Year?

After winning, I got the opportunity to meet the OxLEP team in person. They did a lot of media coverage and also asked if I would like to be a part of the Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards Committee for the 2021 awards, which lead to me co-hosting the awards this year. I couldn't be more grateful for this opportunity, the experience and confidence I have gained from this. 

I was also invited to visit High Spec Composites (the headline sponsor of the awards) where they introduced us to the team, gave us a little tour of their workshops, and explained to us how the trophies were made. 

WHAT ARE YOUR Plans for the year ahead?

I am looking forward to being a part of the Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards Committee for the 2022 awards ceremony and starting my Level 4 Associate Project Management Apprenticeship. 

Watch the awards ceremony.

Discover 2021's Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards winning apprentices and businesses.