- 04 April 2022
- Apprentices & Employer Information & Recruitment &
Less than six months from being awarded their second consecutive Outstanding award from Ofsted, receiving Grade One for every aspect of their apprenticeship provision, this is another fantastic accolade to add to the ever-growing list of awards Saks Apprenticeships have under their belt.
The FE Week and Association of Employment and Learning Providers Annual Apprenticeship Conference Awards 2022 at the ICC in Birmingham was the location for their latest success, going up against the best apprenticeship providers the nation has to offer and pitting their apprenticeship provision against amazing competition such as the other shortlisted finalist Omni Academy.
This year saw a record breaking three hundred and seventy entries into the Annual Apprenticeship Conference Awards, from companies the length and breadth of England, vying to win one of twenty-four different apprenticeship awards which led to Shane Mann, managing director of FE Week’s publisher Lsect and AAC awards co-host, to comment, “Tonight we’ve proved that there is so much to celebrate in the apprenticeships sector.”
The event, which after a two-year covid enforced hiatus, was also co-hosted by AELP chief executive Jane Hickie who commented that this year’s entrants were remarkably strong especially due to the tough conditions of the last year.
Saks Apprenticeships were fantastically proud to be listed alongside some amazing names in the apprenticeship world and that the efforts of everyone involved with Saks Apprenticeships, from apprentices to management, educators to employers and employees, over the last year have been recognised in this way.
This prestigious award comes off the back of one of the more challenging years for the apprenticeship sector and the hair and beauty industry. The fact that these challenges were met and overcome by Saks Apprenticeships was a determining factor in them walking away with this prestigious award. With the awarding body commenting on the evening that the Saks Apprenticeships response to lockdown was exceptional, helping their apprentices and employers get through the darker times.
By quickly changing learning to an online platform, offering two live classes a day, apprentice discussion forums, offering new Saks Education made learning resources, individual learning sessions and bespoke action planning with educators, coupled with apprentices receiving practical kits and aids so they could continue to develop their skills at home and take part in online skills competitions.
All this meant that no apprentice was left behind and when employers reopened their salons their team was even more prepared for the return to work.
Tina Ockerby Managing Director of Saks Apprenticeships was ecstatic with the amazing achievement and dedicated the award to the tremendous team she has built and had the privilege to manage over the last couple of years.
She said “The team and I had an incredible night at the awards ceremony, it was great to be in a room with so many other people all striving to be the best at what they do and wanting to help make apprenticeships the choice for further education. To be announced as the Hair and Beauty Apprenticeship Provider of the Year is a culmination of years of hard work, dedication and determination by everyone at Saks Apprenticeships.”
Tina is committed to use this fantastic award to help bring apprenticeships to even more employers and learners, using both this and their outstanding Ofsted rating as inspiration to build and grow Saks Apprenticeships and challenge for the National Apprenticeship Provider of the Year Award in 2023.
She added “2022 is going to be an incredible year for everyone associated Saks Apprenticeships with some wonderful plans in place and interesting innovations being rolled out.”
“We are always looking at ways of improving how we provide apprenticeships and education to the industry. We think that the future is looking fantastic for anyone looking to help the next generation start their career in hair and beauty and for those looking to develop new and exciting skills.”
Saks Apprenticeships set out to be outstanding from the day they started education back in 2000 and have been rated as this for over 15 years, receiving Outstanding on two consecutive Ofsted Inspections in 2006 and 2021, by sticking to the areas that they are truly expert in, hair and beauty.
Their recruitment policy of finding education staff for their vocational skills and knowledge in their area, and then supporting and training them to become exceptional educators who can then, in turn, train apprentices to be qualified and desirable employees, helps employers to build a skilful, dedicated team.
If you are looking for an outstanding apprenticeship training provider and want to work with the best in the industry, where the apprentice and their employer are at the heart of everything they do, request your free information pack today!
