Embracing Innovation in Recruitment: Warwickshire County Council's Transformative Partnership with Captiva Learning

Warwickshire County Council set out to recruit six apprentice Youth Workers who could deliver various targeted youth work programmes and approaches, supporting young people in Warwickshire to have brighter futures. The role was written to work alongside the apprenticeship, with the Youth Worker eventually being able to develop and master the critical knowledge, skills, and behaviours required to complete the Level 6 Youth Worker apprenticeship, resulting in a BA Hons in Youth Work.

Challenges Faced

The Targeted Youth Team within the local authority highlighted ongoing challenges in recruiting for the Youth Service. In response, Warwickshire took a proactive approach by creating six Youth Worker Degree Apprenticeship roles, specifically designed for individuals with prior experience in youth support environments.

Organisational Change

This advert and job specification marked a first for Warwickshire, introducing a new degree apprenticeship that had never been advertised before. With this offering included, Daniel Nash, Apprenticeships and Placements Practitioner, states, “It’s great that we have the opportunity via apprenticeships to grow our own, in many different roles and career pathways.”

Results and Impact

Warwickshire’s journey demonstrates the importance of embracing and adapting to dynamics. By investing in youth work, fostering a culture of agility, and offering apprenticeships, the company successfully navigated its transition to emerging innovative leaders in design practices. This case study is a testament to the transformative power of talent solutions and their critical role in driving growth.

Warwickshire received an excellent response to its campaign – this surpassed all previous recruitment adverts; it shortlisted thirteen applicants for assessment, with Captiva providing support before the assessment day on FAQs for the programme, eligibility, and programme delivery.

Hollie – Team Manager for Targeted Youth Support: “In terms of our recruitment process, we recruited against the criteria for the course; we had a very thorough interview day, and six candidates were made offers.” Daniel continued with his reflection, stating, “It’s early days, of course, but I hope that the apprentices progress to become valued employees with the skills and experience needed by the service.”

Youth Worker Degree Apprenticeship - who is it for? Where do you start?

Captiva Learning Premier Pathways Team is often asked who the Youth Worker Degree apprenticeship for. The answer is anyone working with young people aged 11-19; creating a job specification or job title can be an exciting challenge, but it can also be daunting.

Provided with the framework of job descriptions and advert examples from our work with Warwickshire Council and successfully funded, Marlborough Town Council could also advertise their role with the Youth Worker Degree Apprenticeship included to source applicants. Matthew was recruited as a Youth Development Manager and started on the 1st of October, also joining the 2024 cohort, and gaining full funding for the programme via a levy transfer from Wiltshire with Captiva support.

Richard - Town Clerk, Marlborough Town Council, stated: “I took what was valuable and relevant from Warwickshire CC examples and reworked the JD to suit our situation and perspective. The recruitment process was exemplary. Overall, Captiva Learning Premier Pathways Team have been great.”

At Captiva Learning, we’re proud to support initiatives that create lasting impacts—not just for organisations, but for the individuals and communities they serve.

Contact [email protected] to find out more about how Captiva Learning can help transform your recruitment strategy.