On October 22nd, 2021, Blue won the regional award for SME Employer of the Year, National Apprenticeship Awards in London. The award was sponsored by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT in association with RITTECH.

James Nevin, Partner at Blue Engineering, received the award during a virtual ceremony. When asked how he can advise other SME’s to consider taking on apprentices, he said:

“For any SME who isn’t aware of the process, it is much easier than you think to take on an apprentice from recruitment through to finding a learning provider. It is all accessible, and the government grants make it an attractive financial proposition.”

Read more about how SMEs can go about setting up apprenticeships here.

The judges recognised us for the symbiotic relationship and mutual benefit between the apprenticeships and the company. The growth, strong ethos, and track record of the company was also recognised. Our proactive campaign in encouraging more women to apply for engineering roles within the industry was acknowledged.

Read our article, Why Are There So Few Female Structural Engineers, here.

There were nine regional awards across England, and the overall winner will be announced on Wednesday, December 1st.

The National Apprenticeship Awards provide the opportunity to celebrate apprenticeships. Now in their 18th year, the prestigious awards recognise the exceptional achievements of apprentices, apprenticeship champions and apprenticeship employers.

Apprenticeships help build successful individuals and get their careers off the ground. The National Apprenticeship Awards allow individuals and businesses to showcase the very best in practice across the country.

To learn more about the Awards, visit appawards.co.uk.