School & College Leavers Decide the Top Employers in the UK

In the month that a new Conservative Government has pledged to create three million new apprenticeships, AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk has celebrated the companies excelling in the field of school leaver employment and training, based on the real-life experiences of apprentices and school leaver trainees.
 
Using responses from employee satisfaction surveys, AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk announced the best organisations last night at its third national Top Employers for School & College Leavers awards ceremony, at London’s Oxo Tower, sponsored by BDO.
 
The surveys asked questions on every aspect of trainees’ working lives, from job satisfaction and career progression to company culture and work-life balance. 19 awards were up for grabs on the night, rewarding top UK employers who offer Intermediate Apprenticeships, Advanced Apprenticeships, Higher Apprenticeships, school leaver programmes and sponsored degrees.
 
International energy provider National Grid stole the show, winning both Top Employer for School & College Leavers and Best School Leaver Programme. Sharing the limelight were Visa Europe who won Best Higher Apprenticeship, Nomura who won Best Intermediate Apprenticeship, Nestlé for Best Sponsored Degree and Tangerine PR who claimed a series of awards including Best Newcomer, Best Advanced Apprenticeship and Best School & College Leaver Recruitment Campaign.
 
Not just employers, but trainees themselves were celebrated for making a valuable contribution to their chosen industry. 18-year-old Honeybea Youngman was named School or College Leaver of the Year for her outstanding work on the Pret A Manger School Leaver Programme.
On her experience on the scheme she said: “I have really loved the responsibility and independence that I have gained.  I can honestly say it has been a great transition from school to work.”
 
Pret’s School Leaver Programme Coordinator, Kate Nicholls, said:
“We are just so proud of Honey and how much she’s achieved. Honey has grown up with us.  We trust her 100%. She’s a critical part of the shop, and has responsibility for running shifts even though she’s still only 18. She knows how to be in control and we totally respect her. “
 
Whilst 13 of the awards were based on employee satisfaction surveys completed anonymously by school leaver trainees who currently work for the companies involved, a further four categories were judged by a panel of 12 impartial industry experts, and a final two by a student judging panel.
 
High profile industry figures on the expert panel included Jonathan Ledger, Chief Executive of Proskills UK, Janet Hull, Executive Director at Creative Pioneers and Simon Tarr, Managing Director at People 1st.
 
Judge Simon Tarr, Managing Director at People 1st, described the tough competition between final candidates: “The shortlist was exceptionally strong. Individual entrants had continually gone the extra mile and employers acknowledged the importance of a transparent and dynamic recruitment process.”
 
The award winners included companies from various sectors, from IT and engineering to retail and law. These ranged from household names, such as Jaguar Land Rover, to growing SMEs, such as Ginger Nut Media.
 
Lucy Dolan, recruitment manager at BDO, said: “BDO is proud to sponsor the Top Employers for School & College Leavers awards and rankings for the third year running. Celebrations such as these are vital in helping to raise awareness of apprenticeships, school leaver programmes and sponsored degrees across the UK.
 
“There is no time like the present to choose an alternative route to university.”