A significant milestone has been reached as a cloud technology firm based in Manchester has earned the esteemed Princess Royal Training Award. This accolade acknowledges the company’s relentless commitment to reducing the digital skills gap and promoting continuous professional development.
Only a select group of employers have been recognised nationwide through the Princess Royal Training Awards, which require that training, learning, and development be integral to the organisation. The programme must be designed and delivered both efficiently and effectively, and it must have a measurable impact on the organisation’s success and the professional growth of its employees.
Demonstrating its dedication to equipping young individuals with the necessary skills to thrive in the tech industry, the company operates a highly successful IT apprenticeship programme. This scheme combines practical work experience, specialised tech masterclasses, and an IT diploma. Beyond apprenticeships, the firm also engages with over 60,000 young people across Greater Manchester through workshops, code clubs, and engagement sessions in some of the area’s most underprivileged communities. This initiative has been ongoing for more than a decade.
Princess Royal Training Awards special adviser Michael Osbaldeston highlighted the ‘genuine pride’ of the ‘committed apprentices’ following a validation visit. He noted the company’s role in accelerating workforce entry for young people in a field often plagued by skills shortages. The training programme is described as interesting, well-structured, and impactful, with apprentices also contributing to local schools by spreading inspirational messages to thousands of other young people. The firm’s efforts have earned it the highly coveted Princess Royal Training Award 2018, being one of just 48 employers to meet the required standards of excellence.
The company’s apprentices are not only trained in essential technical skills but also in communication, professional behaviour, and workplace skills, aiming to create well-rounded employees ready for full-time careers. Impressively, the apprenticeship programme boasts a 100 per cent employment rate for those who complete the course. In addition to IT, the company offers apprenticeships in maintenance, networking, software development, events, customer service, and marketing. This is part of the broader commitment to continuous professional development, evidenced by a nearly £1m investment over five years and significant per-head expenditure on training in the past year.
Lawrence Jones, CEO, remarked that both current and former apprentices represent 18 per cent of the company’s workforce and significantly contribute to its success. The appointment of full-time teachers in 2013 has been pivotal to the success of the apprenticeship programme, with many graduates now leading departments and managing crucial parts of the company’s operations. Jones emphasised the collective pride within the organisation for receiving the award and the strengthened resolve to continue investing in the training and education of their team.
The achievement comes in the wake of several other accolades, including the Customer Service Team of the Year at the Comms Business Awards and being named the top-performing privately-owned Data Centre & Hosting company in the UK at the Megabuyte50 Awards, as judged by industry analysts.
The prestigious Princess Royal Training Award underscores the company’s exceptional commitment to training and development, particularly in fostering young talent within the tech industry. This recognition highlights the firm’s ongoing dedication to improving digital skills and professional opportunities for future generations.
