News

Severn Trent’s Apprentice team enjoyed a night of success at the 2017 School Leavers Awards.

The ceremony, organised by AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk, celebrates the Top 100 employers on offer to young people, with the event seeing Severn Trent’s apprentice team take home three prestigious awards.

Mark Smith, Severn Trent apprentice recruitment advisor, says: “We’ve managed to leap from 89th place to 13th in the top 100 employers for young people in just one year. We’re really proud to be recognised for all the hard work we’ve done this year engaging with young people about their careers and futures.

“We share our Severn Trent Careers story through presentations, workshops and interactive skills sessions, and have delivered these through more than 100 school visits this academic year and plan to grow even further.”

The team from Severn Trent won awards for: Best Recruitment Campaign, Best Schools Engagement in a Recruitment Campaign, and Best Higher Apprenticeship.

Severn Trent apprentice, Hannah Black, also picked up the runner-up award for School Leaver of the Year.

Mark said: “It’s fantastic to see Hannah being recognised at a national level for the tremendous efforts she’s put into her apprenticeship. Her ambition, innovation and talent mean she’s getting the most out of her apprenticeship, and has made a huge impact on Severn Trent.”

The company is taking on a further 62 apprentices this year, who will have eight schemes to choose from, all with different routes to take which will help to form their career at Severn Trent.

“Winning these awards reinforces that we’re doing something right, and engaging with young people in the right way,” adds Mark. “We’re excited to be taking on more apprentices and bringing in new talent to Severn Trent to help us hopefully reach that number one spot!”

Jack Denton, director and co-founder of AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk, said: “With the new Apprenticeship Levy introduced this April, there are more programmes than ever for young people to choose from. By including apprentice level  specific categories – like the Best Higher Apprenticeship category won by Severn Trent – we’re helping young people identify the best employers at the levels they are most interested in.

"As more businesses plan to take on apprentices following the Levy, it's also important for employers to see how best to engage with and recruit school leavers. Severn Trent's awards in this field not only celebrate their great work but will help other organisations – who might be more accustomed to recruiting university graduates – wanting to learn how to tap into this growing market."

For more information about Severn Trent’s apprenticeships, visit: severntrent.com/careers/apprentices.