Staffordshire based engineering firm KMF, took on strong competition and came out victorious to be named Large Employer of the Year 2015 at their Regional National Apprenticeship Service Awards Ceremony.
Now in their 12th year, the National Apprenticeship Awards, recognise excellence in two areas: businesses that grow their own talent with apprentices and apprentices who have made a significant contribution to their workplaces.
Apprentices have been at the heart of KMFs business since 2007 and with the planned continued growth, Apprentices will remain a key strategy in ensuring the business remains at the forefront of precision sheet metal and engineering within the UK.
Employing over 400 staff, KMF fall into the Large Employer category, this incorporates organisations that employ from 250 to 4,999 employees. The region covers a large geographical area which includes Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Staffordshire. Sue Husband, Director of the National Apprenticeship Service commented, The submissions were of a very high quality, making the competition very difficult to judge this year.
KMF was pleased to make it through to the regional finals and delighted to be announced as winners. Training Centre Manager, Jenny Conlon was thrilled that her team were recognised expressing, This is a fantastic achievement for the company and one we are very proud of. Our apprenticeship programme is quite unique, in that our Apprentices are all taught in-house because of this we are able to offer our apprentices a learning experience that goes above and beyond the recommended framework.
Apprentices experience a structured, rotational program in a variety of departments within the company and as STEM ambassadors are an integral part of the work we do with young people and schools, promoting Apprenticeships as a viable career path.
KMF will now go forward, with other regional winners, to a final selection process to see who will crowned as the National Winner of this catergory. If successful, the national ceremony will take place at Grosvenor House in London on the 26th of January 2016.
The apprenticeship employer entries judged to be the best will have the additional honour of featuring in the acclaimed Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list. KMF were named on the 2014 list and would be honoured to be renamed on 2015s.