Bradford City AFC Crowned Apprenticeship Games 2025 Champions

As the showpiece to National Apprenticeship Week, it was Bradford City AFC who triumphed at the Bradford College Apprenticeship Games 2025.

In partnership with CBRE for this year’s edition, the action-packed event brings together teams of apprentices and their employers for a day of fun, themed challenges. Each squad competes for the coveted Apprenticeship Games title, while also celebrating the positive impact that apprenticeships have on individuals, businesses, and the wider economy.

Teams in attendance for 2025 included JCT600, Bradford City AFC, Bradford Bulls, Northern Pump Supplies, Aptem, RMA Systems, and CBRE.

Speaking on behalf of event partners and competing team, CBRE, Jay McQuitty (Contract Manager, CBRE) said: “CBRE has a positive, long-standing relationship with Bradford College. We were really interested in collaborating with the College through this type of exciting event.

“Apprenticeships are a huge part of our industry and something we really value at CBRE, with apprentices contributing significantly to the foundations of our organisation. Our competing team have had a great time and we’re looking forward to working together again in the future.”

Following a 9am arrival and complimentary breakfast in The Grove Restaurant, energised participants proceeded to move around various challenges across David Hockney Building and the newly-refurbished Higher Level STEM facility, Garden Mills. All challenges, once again, took inspiration from key apprenticeship sectors, with team scores totaled up at the end of the day to determine the overall winners.

The morning included fast-paced challenges, such as creating conceptual TikTok advertising for the College’s new Digital Apprenticeship and a darts challenge put on by CBRE.

After lunch, again at The Grove, the teams moved up to Trinity Green Campus as the day culminated with a Bradford City football challenge, Bradford Bulls wheelchair rugby challenge, and a motor vehicle challenge to change a car tyre – and lower it onto plastic cups for bonus marks!

After a final points tallying, Bradford City AFC was announced as 2025 champions at the event’s closing ceremony! Second place went to JCT600, with CBRE taking the final spot on the podium.

Following a second triumph in three years of the Games, Mick Russell (Commercial Executive, Bradford City AFC) said: “As close partners of Bradford College, we work together throughout the year and are fellow strong advocates for apprenticeships. Being here today to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, alongside other local employers, has been really exciting. There’s been several challenging contests against some strong teams, so to emerge as winners is a fulfilling achievement for us.”

2025 marks the 18th National Apprenticeship Week, after originally launching in 2007. The annual week-long event celebrates apprentices, employers, training providers, parents, schools, colleges, universities, End Point Assessment Organisations (EPAOs), ambassadors and related skills programmes – all of which contribute to the success of apprenticeships nationwide.

Bradford College has over 30 years of experience in delivering apprenticeships and works closely with around 700 employers across the City and wider region. Are you interested in an apprenticeship with us? Maybe you’re an employer looking to take on an apprentice or upskill your existing workforce? Find out more here.