cheshire business awards 2016: apprenticeship award winners
On Friday 7th October, Everybody Sport and Recreation was invited to a glitzy awards ceremony in Chester celebrating the success of Cheshire businesses.
In it’s 13th year the Cheshire Business Awards celebrated the creativity, initiative and determination demonstrated by firms large and small throughout the county at Chester Cathedral. It was the third time the 900-year-old historic building has welcomed the awards, organised by Trinity Mirror with the help of executive sponsors SAS Daniels.
Everybody Sport and Recreation was shortlisted for three categories including, Employer of the Year, Business of the Year (over 50 employees) and the Barlow UK Apprenticeship Award.
A total of 12 awards were handed out at the Cathedral on Friday night and Everybody Sport and Recreation was announced as the winner of the Barlow UK Apprenticeship Award.
Thomas Barton, Director of People and Growth at Everybody commented, ‘Everybody is extremely proud to have won the Apprenticeship Award. We have been able to recruit 16 new apprentices since September 2015, investing in training, qualifications and on the job learning in a variety of roles across the business.’
Everybody has recently recruited 7 new apprentices in roles including Leisure Operations, Catering & Hospitality and Business Administration and will look to launch a new recruitment campaign in January 2017.
Thomas continued, ‘We have recently been recognised as an Employer of Choice with the highly acclaimed IIP Award with this and the launch of our training arm the Everybody Academy, we are committed to making sure our apprentices gain the vital skills and experience they need to secure permanent roles at Everybody Sport and Recreation.’
For more information about the Everybody Academy email [email protected]
The full list of award winners at Friday’s ceremony
Apprenticeships Everybody Sport and Recreation
In September 2015 Everybody appointed 9 apprentices to Leisure Operations or Leisure Development Activator positions. A number of the appointed apprentices were young people who had taken part in work placement and volunteer programmes, a number were also either NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) or identified as being at risk of becoming NEET in the future.
In addition to the NVQ and other national Level 2 qualifications that formed the apprenticeships we also delivered a range of additional qualifications and internal courses to ensure that they were fully qualified to undertake their roles and have the knowledge to further their careers. They have fulfilled their primary roles and also gathered additional experience in other areas of the business to ensure that they gain a broad working knowledge of the leisure industry and enable them to identify where they would like to develop their careers in the future.
The apprentices have taken part in a number of community events helping to promote the business and future volunteering, work placement and apprentice opportunities as well as the delivery of activities and event support. 7 of our apprentices have now selected their career pathways for a second year apprenticeship where they will specialise in their chosen career path and will be guaranteed a permanent role with Everybody at the end of their 2nd year.
Everybody has now recruited a further 7 new apprentices in Leisure Operations, Catering & Hospitality and Business Administration.
Since May 2015 we have also signed a number of staff members up for apprenticeships and have so far completed:
- 2 Diploma in Management
- 2 Diploma in Leisure Management
- 2 Diploma in Personal Training
- 3 Diploma in Business Administration
- 1 Diploma in Business Management
- 1 Certificate in Active Leisure, Learning & Wellbeing Services
We also have the following who are currently working towards apprenticeship qualifications:
- 10 Diploma in Instructing Exercise and Fitness
- 1 Diploma in Leisure Management
- 1 Diploma in Personal Training
- 1 Diploma in Business Administration
Candidates have come from all levels within the business and we have seen significant improvement in staff motivation and performance since we introduced the apprenticeship route. Everybody will be launching a recruitment campaign for more apprentices in January 2017 for more information visit www.everybody.org.uk