INNOVATION ON-SITE SCOOPS MAJOR APPRENTICESHIP AWARD
Kerry Richardson – Business Co-ordinator, Tony Wren – Managing Director, receiving their award from Last year’s winner Jaqui Fairfax from Commercial Utility Brokers
Innovation On-Site, in Maulden is celebrating after winning the Small Employer of the Year Award at the East of England regional heat of the prestigious National Apprenticeship Awards.
Organised by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) the awards are designed to celebrate the achievements of apprentices and the businesses that employ them. Innovation On-Site will now represent the East of England and automatically go through to a judging panel for the National Apprenticeship Awards held on the 29 June 2011, in London.
Innovation On-Site, established in 2007, specialise in on-site construction skills and employs 7 apprentices beat hundreds of entrants to be shortlisted for the Small Employer of the Year category. On winning the award they said:
“We are both honoured and grateful to receive this award, especially amongst such company. We are thankful that our most valuable asset ‘Our Apprentices’ have been recognised in such high esteem . Our vision to be the ‘Partner of Choice’ is underpinned by our apprentices and our bespoke training and development programme. Apprentices are encouraged to take ownership and believe in their own abilities from day one. As they grow and develop, our workforce constantly evolves. Our investment in apprentices will not waiver and we will continue to champion the benefits that they bring."
Jon Nay, director for the NAS in the East of England,said: “This year’s awards were a terrific showcase of the outstanding wealth of Apprenticeship talent that we have across our region. Given the volume and high calibre of entries we received, I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the finalists for their superb achievements and for their ongoing commitment to Apprenticeships.
It’s been a tough year for businesses and the economy, but the awards have given Apprenticeships the chance to shine - showing that they are key to growth during the economic upturn. All the finalists demonstrated what makes Apprenticeships so successful, not only in the East of England but throughout the country. The winners are now ambassadors for Apprenticeships and for the region’s dedication to this programme.”
Apprenticeships offer young people a training route which combines work-based learning with theory and a recognised qualification, whilst employers experience a range of benefits when hiring an apprentice, including motivated, skilled staff and increased productivity.
The National Apprenticeship Awards 2011 received a record number of applications with over 1,600 entries – an increase of over 25% on last year’s awards.
This year the NAS in partnership with City & Guilds is looking for England’s Top 100 Apprenticeship employers. As well as the four employer category winners, the 24 best other employers in each category will be honoured in the Top 100 Apprenticeship employers list.
Visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk or call 08000 150 600 to find out more about Apprenticeships.