Superior, a leading manufacturer of o-rings and seals based in Dorset, was invited to a ceremony at St James’s Palace on Wednesday October 31 to receive its Princess Royal Training Award.
HRH The Princess Royal commended 48 businesses around the country, including Superior, all recognised for their inspirational commitment to learning and development.
Superior was commended for its Apprenticeship Academy, which was set up in 2012 to address an ageing workforce and skills shortage in the local area. Superior’s on-site Academy offers apprenticeships to students as young as 16 and apprentices learn about engineering, science and manufacturing. All apprentices are given the opportunity to gain a degree.
Tim Brown MBE, managing director at Superior, Ben Clarke, ex-apprentice and now a senior manager at Superior and Katie Bodman, head of training Academy at Superior were all invited to visit the Palace to receive the Award.
Commenting on the visit to the Palace, Tim Brown said: “It was a privilege to be invited to St James’s Palace to be formally commended with other companies across the country that are investing in staff development. It was a real honour to be recognised for our contribution to apprenticeships.”
Ben Clarke commented: “We see the benefits from our Academy on a daily basis. I feel privileged that week in, week out, I have the opportunity to mentor and develop our apprentices into roles where they can reach their full potential. As a former apprentice myself, and having seen the Academy grow from the beginning, I am so proud that we have been recognised by HRH The Princess Royal.”
Commenting on the Princess Royal Training Awards, Chris Jones, chief executive of City & Guilds Group, commented: “In an ever -changing world, it continues to be important for Britain’s employers to invest in training to boost their productivity, address skills gaps and further develop their teams.
“It’s great to see such a diverse group of organisations achieving the Princess Royal Training Award standard in 2018. I congratulate all of them who are examples of the innovative, inspiring and impactful training that’s taking place across the UK. They are truly worthy recipients of this rigorously assessed royal award and we are delighted to be able to honour their achievements.”
The Princess Royal Training Awards honoured five businesses in the South West, including:
- Superior
- Specsavers
- The Donkey Sanctuary
- Somer Valley FM
- Royal Air Force
Tim Brown, Ben Clarke and Katie Bodman of Superior joined other company representatives on Wednesday October 31 to receive royal recognition for commitment to learning and development. All the businesses were commended for their commitment to upskilling their workforces at a ceremony hosted by HRH Princess Anne.
The Princess Royal Training Awards, delivered by the City & Guilds Group, are now in their third year. Each of the 90 applications were assessed against three Hallmarks of Excellence by the Princess Royal Training Awards Commission, which comprised of HRH The Princess Royal and seven leading figures in the business and training community.
For more information about Superior and its Apprenticeship Academy, visit www.superiorltd.com