Care home provider HC-One, the Kind Care Company, has been featured for the second consecutive year in the independent Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers 2023, ranking at number 97 in the prestigious list.
The Top 100 list, developed by the Department for Education in conjunction with High Fliers Research, recognises the very highest standards of apprenticeship employment in England based on a range of data points and includes a range of industries in both the private and public sectors.
The list recognises the commitment of employers, and supports future apprentices, career advisers and others to identify future potential apprenticeship opportunities. Entries were scored and weighted on the number of apprentices who started an apprenticeship, the diversity of these apprentices and how many apprentices successfully achieved an apprenticeship in the last 12 months.
This year competition was fierce, with a record number of entries. HC-One’s ranking on the list shows the company’s commitment to delivering a high-quality apprenticeship programme.
Sean Smith, Chef at Rose Court Care Home in Radcliffe completed his Production Chef Level 2 Apprenticeship Standard and is a young apprentice moving from car mechanic to restaurants to care. Sean has now enrolled onto his Level 3. He said:
“I recognise my Level 2 Production Chef Apprenticeship has supported me in my progression within my role at Rose Court, from Kitchen Assistant to Assistant Chef and now Chef.
“I am proud of my achievements in this time and the development I have made and will continue to make, with the Level 3 qualification I am about to embark on.
“I am excited of my achievements so far and how I feel I have contributed and made a difference to the Residents’ lives, in which I support and my passion to make a difference each day and progression in the future.”
Sheryl Leader, Carer at Branston Court Care Home in Burton-on-Trent completed her Health and Social Care Level 2 Apprenticeship with HC-One achieving a distinction. At the age of 23 Sheryl has completed her Level 2 Adult Care Worker Apprenticeship and has enrolled onto the Level 3 Lead Adult Care Worker with the view to train as a Nursing Assistant. Sheryl commented:
“My apprenticeship allowed me to gain experience and knowledge in the care sector, as I had never done care before apart from caring for my parents who are profoundly deaf. I have grown in confidence since starting my apprenticeship and have learned to deal with different people and situations which I wouldn’t have been able to do before and I’m very grateful.”
HC-One joined major household names in the Top 100 of the independently assessed rankings, in recognition of their commitment to the career boosting opportunities provided by apprenticeships over the past 12 months.
HC-One employs over 850 apprentices across the UK and has so far seen 1317 apprentices complete their apprenticeships in England as part of HC-One’s partnership with Lifetime Training.
Lewis Jackson, Chef at Rose Court Care Home who completed his Production Chef Level 2 Apprenticeship Standard and is a young apprentice originally working in a warehouse before starting his career in the care sector. He completed his Level 2 and has now enrolled onto a Level 3 Senior Production Chef apprenticeship. Lewis said:
“I feel the apprenticeship has not only embedded my skills, knowledge and confidence, but helped me to choose a future career which I am passionate about and want to progress further, by completing additional training and progression opportunities within HC-One.
“I strive to be better and to be a role model each day to my team, in order to show them what can be achieved with hard work and dedication, to support others to progress in the future, as my manager did with me.
“What I have achieved in this time, has made me passionate and excited for what else my future could hold.”
Apprenticeship opportunities at HC-One are offered to newly recruited and existing Colleagues to help develop their skills, knowledge, and confidence, with a range of topics on offer including care, nursing, hospitality, business skills, procurement, IT and leadership. The programme forms part of HC-One’s commitment to providing rewarding careers in the care industry, by supporting Colleagues to progress their careers with clearly defined progression pathways and the opportunity to achieve fully funded accredited qualifications.
Susan Beasley, Apprenticeships and Qualifications Manager at HC-One said:
“Being listed as one of the country’s Top 100 outstanding apprenticeship employers for the second consecutive year is a huge honour and a great achievement.
“We are very proud of the apprenticeship programmes HC-One offers its new and existing Colleagues, as we aim to invest in developing a kind, skilled and knowledgeable workforce to meet the demands for care both now and in the future in the communities we serve. I am extremely proud of our amazing apprentices with inspirational stories of how their apprenticeships are supporting them to meet their career aspirations.
“We continue to develop our apprenticeship programme with the expansion of Nurse Associate and Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship opportunities and will be adding to these programmes further with opportunities for Colleagues to access level 6 and 7 leadership apprenticeships in the future.”
Gillian Keegan, Secretary of State for Education commented on the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list stating:
"I want to congratulate and thank all the businesses that made the 2023 rankings.
“Apprenticeships are a fantastic way for people of all ages and background to earn while they learn, whilst ensuring employers develop the pipeline of skilled professionals they need to grow and thrive.
“These rankings highlight the huge range of apprenticeship opportunities right across the country, from renewable energy projects, to video game design, and marine navigation.
“As a degree apprentice myself, I am passionate about ensuring more people can access the same opportunity I did – and I’m delighted that our 2023 rankings help us showcase the best of the best in apprenticeships."