Maes Manor Hotel named Small Employer of the Year
Lee Parsons, operations director at Maes Manor Hotel, receives the Small Employer of the Year award from Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology Ken Skates (right) and Ray Edwards of Pearson.
A hotel based in the Blackwood mountains has won a prestigious national award after it successfully implemented an Apprenticeship Programme to develop and improve employment opportunities at the business.
Maes Manor Hotel, Blackwood was named Small Employer of the Year at the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2013, organised jointly by the Welsh Government and the National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW). The high profile ceremony, attended by more than 400 people, was held at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport.
Operations director Lee Parsons said: “The hotel has had a rough time over the last couple of years and this fantastic award is going to be good for the business and great for the staff morale.”
The awards recognise the outstanding achievements of learners, employers and providers involved in the delivery of quality apprenticeships and other work-based learning programmes across Wales. The Apprenticeship Programme is funded by the Welsh Government with the support of the European Social Fund.
Maes Manor Hotel introduced an apprenticeship programme two years ago to increase moral and productivity. With the emphasis on improving employment opportunities, practices and procedures, along with customer service, the hotel now employs 10 apprentices.
“We decided that by encouraging and committing staff members to undertake an apprenticeship, supported by a quality training programme, would help to create a more focused team,” said Mr Parsons.
“While learning through the apprenticeship programme, the employees can build career goals and begin a path to success, ensuring more commitment from them within their roles and a commitment from the employer to encourage career progression within their job role.”
Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology, Ken Skates said: “The Apprenticeship Awards allow us to celebrate the range of skills that our young people have to offer as well as the dedication shown by employers and training providers and I’d like to congratulate all of the worthy winners.
“It was a real pleasure to meet such hard-working and ambitious young people who have all achieved so much, as well as the employers and training providers who have gone that extra mile in supporting young people to fulfil their potential. They are all a credit to themselves and an inspiration to others.
“Our recent budget announcement has confirmed an additional £12.5 million to extend our Jobs Growth Wales programme for a fourth year. This means that we can create more than 4,000 extra job opportunities for 16-24 year olds in 2015-16. The Welsh Government will also be investing a further £20 million in 2015-16 to support apprenticeships. This is excellent news for our young people and our employers and will allow us to make a real difference.”
Showcasing excellence in skills development in Wales, the awards are sponsored by Pearson PLC with support from media partner, Media Wales. Award Sponsors are Leadership & Management Wales and ACT Training.
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