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BAE Systems wins employer of the year award at the Apprenticeship Awards 2005

Engineering company, BAE Systems, was named Large Employer of the Year at the Learning and Skills Council's 2005 Apprenticeship Awards.

The LSC recognised the engineering company for its commitment to boosting productivity through Apprenticeships at the ceremony held last Thursday at the London Hilton Park Lane. The event was hosted by four-time medallist Sir Matthew Pinsent and Gold medal winning cox Garry Herbert.

BAE System's Advanced Apprenticeships programme is designed to help young people without any engineering or business experience to develop their skills. The company typically recruits around 280 apprentices a year.

John Lee Male, Head of Learning and Development at BAE Systems, said: "The low attrition rate of the programme ensures that BAE Systems maintains and enhances its staff capability with enthusiastic and skilled young people who often fill senior positions as their careers develop.

"Our apprentices are self motivated, ready to take the initiative and go into problem-solving mode - reducing production time for the work they do by up to 25 per cent."

Stephen Gardner, Director of work based learning at the Learning and Skills Council, said: "Apprenticeships are a cornerstone in the work on skills development in England. Currently one-fifth of job vacancies - some 135,000 places - remain unfilled because of a lack of skilled applicants.

"The National Apprenticeship Awards are a great opportunity to recognise the crucial contribution UK businesses are making to raise skill levels, and improve productivity and competitiveness nationally.

"I would like to congratulate BAE Systems on winning the Large Employer award, and express my delight at the exceptional commitment to Apprenticeships by both employers and young people.

"I look forward to increased take up of Apprenticeships by employers nation-wide as these employers - the best of the best - act as our role models for the future."

Other employer winners were Cumbria hauliers and livestock carriers WM Armstrong Ltd, Somerset-based Upper Cut Hair Salons, and micro-employer Carpeting Merseyside.

The Awards are the second to be held by the Learning and Skills Council and are designed to recognise employers who are successfully using Apprenticeships to improve business performance as well as the hard work and commitment of young people currently on, or who have completed, an Apprenticeship.

A record number of entries, over 1,000, were received from employers and young people across eight different categories including micro, small, medium and large employers and Apprentice of the Year. Employers were judged on a number of criteria including implementation of the programme, demonstration of the way Apprenticeships had benefited their businesses, and the level of support provided to the young apprentices within their organisation.

The award winners in each of the eight categories were:

• Employer - 250 plus employees - BAE Systems Plc
• Employer - 50-249 employees - WM Armstrong (Longtown) Ltd
• Employer - Less than 50 employees - Upper Cut Hair Salons
• Employer - Less than 9 employees - Carpeting Merseyside
• Apprentice of the Year - Paul Stewart
• Advanced Apprentice of the Year: Thomas Pearson
• Personal Achiever 16-18 - Kaye Dewsnap
• Personal Achiever 19-24 - Peter Stuart Marks

The 2005 Apprenticeship Awards are being sponsored by City & Guilds, British Gas, BT, Skills for Business, BAE Systems Plc and E Skills.

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For more information on Apprenticeships, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk

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