24 January 2017
Mitie, the facilities management company, was announced as winner of the EON Award for 'Macro Employer of the Year' at last week’s National Apprenticeship Awards 2016.
The Awards, now in their thirteenth year, are run by the National Apprenticeship Service and recognise excellence in two areas: businesses that grow their own talent with apprentices and apprentices who have made a significant contribution to their workplaces.
London’s Grosvenor House hosted the glittering ceremony with the theme ‘Nation of Champions’, which showcased the success stories of individuals and employers.
Fighting off tough competition from Lloyds Banking Group and Whitbread, Mitie took the crown in the EON Macro Employer of the Year category for its continued commitment to apprenticeships.
Mitie’s success wouldn’t have been possible without the help from our training partner – Jigsaw. Working with Jigsaw since 2007, they’ve assisted us with everything to do with our apprentices, from signing them up in the first place and tutoring them, to dealing with their issues and fronting Ofsted inspections.
Also announced on the night was the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list 2016, featuring the most exceptional apprenticeship employers from all National Apprenticeship Awards employer categories, in which Mitie was also named.
On winning the award and being announced in the Top 100 list, Barry Norris, Training Director at Mitie, said:
“This is testament to the hard work and dedication of our many managers across the business who support our apprentices so magnificently and, of course, to the apprentices themselves. It is also a wonderful recognition of the partnership we have developed over eight years with our principal provider, Jigsaw Training. The significant contribution made by their team of tutors and assessors, in the development of our apprentices, is not only widely recognised within the business by learners and managers alike, but also by Ofsted Inspectors in their latest report.
“We now have much evidence to show the benefits apprenticeships bring to our people, not merely in terms of high skill levels and self-confidence but also in the career development opportunities delivered. Apprenticeships also strengthen our culture, reduce labour turnover, improve engagement and ultimately lead to improving the quality of service we provide to our customers. We are already planning significant expansion of our apprenticeship numbers over the next couple of years because in simple terms, it makes sound business sense!”
Robert Halfon, Apprenticeships and Skills Minister, said:
“Congratulations to Mitie Group Plc for your success in this year’s National Apprenticeship Awards, which has showcased so much inspiring talent, dedication and ensures that apprenticeships get the prestige they deserve.
“I am always proud to see how many employers and apprentices get involved in apprenticeships across the country, helping to give a ladder of opportunity to people and deliver quality skills for employers. I hope your involvement encourages others to do the same to ensure social justice for all.”
Mitie has offered apprenticeships for over twenty years, currently employing over two thousand apprentices across thirty nine different areas of the business, varying from landscaping and engineering to catering and hospitality.