As with every year, we are indebted to the support of our sponsors who ensure we are able to stage the biggest and best business awards in the county.

Between now and the awards ceremony, we will be highlighting each of our sponsors in our fortnightly email newsletter.

Spotlight on Buckinghamshire Council

Next up in our Sponsor in the Spotlight series, we speak to Cllr Anita Cranmer, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Education and Skills at Buckinghamshire Council, sponsors of the Apprentice and Young Person Employer of the Year Award.

The winners of last year’s award were Zenopa Ltd, and the runners up were All Spring Media Ltd and WestWon Ltd

What does it mean to Buckinghamshire Council to be involved with the Buckinghamshire Business Awards 2023?

"We are proud to once again be one of the sponsors for the Buckinghamshire Business Awards. They are a great opportunity to recognise innovation, growth and excellence by businesses around the county.

"The awards celebrate the achievements and positive impact that businesses make to Buckinghamshire and give us an opportunity to learn more about the commitment that businesses in the county have to developing their workforces."

What do you find most inspiring about being the sponsor of the Apprentice and Young Person Employer of the Year Award in particular?

"Buckinghamshire Council is committed to the development of young people and so are delighted to be sponsor for this category again.

"The quality of submissions in this category has always been high. We are once again looking forward to hearing how young people have enhanced what businesses do and being a part of sharing these success stories."

What impressed you most about last year’s entrants, including the winner and finalists?

"Young people bring energy, creativity and ambition to the workplace, and this was reflected in the submissions we received to the category last year. 

"The finalists and overall winners in 2022 were able to demonstrate how young people played such a crucial role within the business. We are very much anticipating another series of strong nominations this year."

Last year’s shortlist was made up of businesses from very different sectors (recruitment, media training/consultancy, asset finance). Do you think this shows that all types of businesses can benefit from hiring apprentices and young people?

"We are so fortunate to have a diverse range of businesses in the county. This is reflected in the quality of the submissions we received in the Apprentice and Young Person Employer of the Year Award, which has traditionally been a competitive category.

"This comes as a valuable reminder of how supporting young people at the start of their working lives is so important for all types of businesses in Buckinghamshire."