Ayrshire Apprenticeship Challenge 2022

Over the summer, apprentices from businesses across Ayrshire have been working hard on a project that gives back to the local community as part of our Ayrshire Apprenticeship Challenge 2022. The challenge allowed apprentices of 1 or more per group to use their skills they’ve attained within their business to do something of benefit for the local community. Each team was responsible for the planning and devising of their project and worked on a portfolio to support their work. Collins Aerospace, Shire Housing and Spirit AeroSystems completed their challenge and made it to the semi-final in September. Each team presented their challenge in front of a panel of judges with their portfolio evidence.

Collins Aerospace Project:

Apprentices from Collins Aerospace chose to support Community Gift Exchange (CGX). This charity is within their local community near their facility in Monkton that provides a positive method to recycle and upcycle donated items such as bikes, furniture, and more through the help of their volunteers who are sometimes disabled, troubled or in rehabilitation. The CGX workshop was previously in an unorganised state, with no standard work or production flow throughout. This made it difficult for the volunteers to work safely, effectively and progress their skills. From this, the Collins team decided to refurbish the workshop to create better flow and linkage. They worked with the charity’s volunteers to make the space as practical as possible measuring equipment to create storage and recycle materials to do so.

Shire Housing Project:

Apprentice Jayden from Shire Housing came up with a cost-of-living crisis open day event with the main goal of creating as much of a positive impact on the community and assist as many members of it as possible. Therefore, this event was free to attend event where people could come and get assistance on how to become more comfortable financially in these tough times and would provide the greatest benefit to the community out of all my ideas. Jayden was responsible for the entire event planning from invitations to the location of the event to the marketing, as well as being responsible for the wide variety of information he would require on the day to relay to attendees seeking advice. He successfully got other businesses on board too to support the event by coming along and providing advice/assistance. This event was advertised on social media and the local paper to reach as many people as possible.

Spirit AeroSystems Project:

The Spirit team helped develop aspects of Aoife’s Sensory Bus by designing and building a box that stored sensory equipment and headphones for children. Aoife’s Sensory Bus is a local charity in Monkton that has transformed a generic stagecoach bus into a safe and fun place where children go and play with others, decompress and reduce stimulation, or increase stimulation dependant on the individual needs. The apprentices from Spirit raised money e.g., by selling football scratch cards to profit for equipment they would use for the bus then donated the remaining money to the charity. The group were able to go around the site selling these cards and also to friends and family to raise the funds.

Winning team:

Collins Aerospace were announced as the overall winner and we would like to congratulate the apprentice team once again for winning this award ????

The team joined us on Friday night at the Ayrshire Business Awards where they received their prize. Well done for all your hard work and thank you to the businesses who took part in the challenge.

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