Pictured from left: Hays Travel’s Gemma Morrell, quality assurance coordinator, and Carole Hodgson, apprenticeship delivery manager.
Hays Travel has been recognised as the Apprenticeship Employer of the Year at the Annual Apprenticeship Awards 2020.
The winners were crowned at a ceremony in Birmingham on Tuesday (March 3).
More than 500 sector leaders, staff and apprentices were at the awards, which are run by FE Week and the Association of Employment and Learning Providers.
The awards had 22 categories which had 44 organisations and individuals on the shortlist, after more than 350 entries were submitted by colleges, training providers and employers.
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Carole Hodgson, Hays Travel apprenticeship delivery manager, said: “Apprentices are at the heart of our company and we are extremely passionate about developing our people.
“It was a fantastic evening celebrating and recognising the value of apprenticeships and we were very proud to be in the same category as prestigious companies such as Amazon, Bentley, Ministry of Defence, and Coca Cola.”
John Hays, managing director, said: “Apprentices inject the organisation with energy, ideas, enthusiasm and interest.
“We, in turn, provide first-rate training and support, and end up with invaluable long-term team members.
“It makes me very proud that many of our most experienced and valued managers joined us as apprentices.
“This year we are expanding our apprenticeship programme across the whole of the UK and ensuring we have apprentices in each of our new branches.”
Shane Mann, publisher of FE Week and chair of the awards judging panel, said: “Hays Travel is a true believer and champion of apprenticeships. It was evident from their application that apprenticeships are embedded within their organisation’s culture and thus valued and supported by stakeholders.
“This Apprentice Employer of the Year Award is one our most competitive categories. This is a big win for Hays Travel, and they more than deserve the recognition.”
Shortly after the collapse of Thomas Cook last September, Hays Travel announced plans to acquire the failed travel giant’s retail estate of 555 shops.