Chris Lewis Fire & Security has been recognised in the first ever Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list, supported by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) and City & Guilds - the UK’s leading vocational education organisation. The Top 100 employers were announced last night at the annual National Apprenticeship Awards and features today in supplements in both The Times and The Sun newspapers.
The Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers is an exciting new initiative which recognises excellence in businesses that employ apprentices. By celebrating their outstanding achievements, NAS and City & Guilds hope to raise the profile of Apprenticeships and promote their benefits to learners and employers alike. The list celebrates employers of all sizes and from all industries which are using Apprenticeships in an innovative and exceptional way to improve their business performance.
Chris Lewis, Managing Director of Chris Lewis Fire & Security, said: ‘We started taking on apprentice engineers 13 years ago to help plug the skills gap that was being created by technological developments in our industry. Since then our apprenticeship programme has expanded to encompass many other areas of the business, including IT, Finance and Customer Services. Recognition as one of the country’s leading apprentice employers is great testament to the work that so many of the team have put in over the years, ensuring a solid training foundation and a focus on developing core skills to support the business.’
Generating in excess of 1,600 entries this year, the 2011 Apprenticeship Awards are the culmination of regional competitions, and saw finalists from across the country go head-to-head to be crowned the winners of eight different categories. Chris Lewis Fire & Security was a finalist in the South East Regional competition. Last night’s awards evening was hosted by the National Apprenticeship Service, which has been established to lead the delivery of Apprenticeships in England.
The National Apprenticeship Awards also celebrate apprentices who have exceeded expectations through their training programmes. With increased funding for Apprenticeships and new frameworks being developed NAS is hoping that more learners will consider alternative paths to employment, such as Apprenticeships. The Government has announced it will increase funding for Apprenticeship programmes, and that they will play an integral role in providing the skills required to grow Britain’s economy.