Sponsored by the Learning & Enterprise College, Bexley, the category recognises Bexley employers who go the extra mile to prepare people for employment through formal and informal employability and skills schemes, work experience, employment routes and apprenticeships.

The award acknowledges our ongoing commitment to its present and future employees, highlighting the extremely high staff retention rate, apprenticeship programmes and attendance at careers fairs, local to our head office and site locations, along with the championing of the first ever demolition degree now on offer at Wolverhampton University and the £1.2 million investment into Erith Training Services.  A large number of our current employees have been provided with the opportunity to study for qualifications in order to progress their careers and improve competence and professional standards across the business. These have included degrees, masters degrees, HNCs and NVQs alongside soft skills courses such as Asta Power Project, NEC/JCT Contract training and Adobe Suite training.

In collaboration with Wates Residential and Orbit Homes, the recent redevelopment project at Arthur Street, Erith provided the opportunity for local Bexley residents to be hired as apprentice demolition operatives on the £95 million pound project continuing our objective to give back to our local community, not just in Bexley but those communities around our sites throughout the UK.

Training Director, Shaun Bean commented, “We are delighted to receive another award that acknowledges the ongoing investment into our employees and their skills.  Training and development are key to continuous improvement across the Group and for that to be recognised by Bexley is a fantastic achievement.”