Mitchells and Butlers Named Macro Employer of the Year at the National Apprenticeship Awards 2019

Mitchells and Butlers has been named Macro Employer of the Year at the National Apprenticeship Awards 2019.

Now in its sixteenth year, the prestigious awards ceremony on 27^th November celebrated both employers and apprentices who have “embraced apprenticeships with zest” and subsequently have encouraged both business and individuals to thrive.

Since launching their programme in partnership with Lifetime Training in 2014, Mitchells and Butlers have championed apprenticeships across their business. Having delivered over 8,000 apprenticeships so far, they have an aspiration to deliver in excess of 10,000 by the end of 2020.

Through Lifetime and additional partner providers Manchester Metropolitan University, Crosby Management Training and Firebrand Training, Mitchells and Butlers offer a vast range of apprenticeships across Hospitality, IT, Management and HR, which range from a level 2 through to master’s degree level 7.

Jan Smallbone, Director of Learning and Talent Development at Mitchells and Butlers said: “We are honoured and excited to have achieved Macro Employer of the Year at the National Apprenticeship Awards 2019. Apprenticeships have become a core pillar of our people strategy at Mitchells & Butlers, we truly see our apprentices as our future. With this award as validation, we are beyond thrilled to continue our dedication and commitment to apprenticeships.”

Lifetime Training’s Chief Commercial Officer Sean Cosgrove said: “We are ecstatic to see our partner Mitchells & Butlers recognised with this award. Not only is it a reflection of their commitment to apprenticeships, but also to their continuous enthusiasm that prompts and engages team members into learning across the business.

“This award certainly gives kudos to the broader Hospitality industry, where so many employers are offering fantastic opportunities for individuals to engage in an exciting, dynamic and fruitful career, supported by the development opportunity of an apprenticeship.”

Two key elements that contribute to the success of the Mitchells and Butlers apprenticeship programme is their Chefs’ Academy and their apprentice recruitment drive. Their Chefs’ Academy is a combination of on-the-job training and monthly culinary masterclasses in their Manchester, Birmingham and London academies, with a clear objective to train and nurture the next generation of Chefs.

Their recruitment drive has been focused towards hiring Chefs into the business, alongside Front of House Team Members. This year they have succeeded in recruiting over 700 apprentices into the business, which has inspired them to elevate their 2020 goal to exceed 800 recruited apprentices.

A characteristic of Mitchells and Butlers is an ambition that extends beyond their business into the wider industry; they are a key driver in the ‘Loving Hospitality’ group, a collection of national hospitality employers who have joined forces to raise the profile of careers in hospitality.

Achievement of this award is recognition of Mitchells and Butlers as a proactive employer, who deliver an exemplary apprenticeship programme, that year-on-year continues to benefit individual apprentices and the organisation.