WARRINGTON based professional services provider Optionis Group has been named 7th in a list of the UK’s top 100 apprenticeship employers by the Education and Skills Funding Agency.
Optionis Group, which is headquartered on Centre Park, has supported more than 550 employees to gain an apprenticeship, providing job opportunities and development in a range of roles including accounting, payroll, and tax.
Optionis was the only North West-based firm to make the top 10, with major national employers such as the Royal Air Force, HMRC and BT also making the list. The British Army took the top spot for 2020.
Achievement rates for those studying an apprenticeship at Optionis have also been high, with a pass rate of more than 90 per cent for the first round of individuals going through end-point assessment on the newly implemented AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) Apprenticeship.
Karen Pay, Chief People Office at Optionis, said: “For several years we’ve taken a lot of pride in our commitment to supporting apprentices, so to be ranked 7th in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers for 2020 really underlines our dedication to apprenticeships across the company.
“Apprenticeships are a big part of our culture and we currently offer more than 17 different programmes in association with our training provider, Paragon Skills. Our managers are also encouraged to identify areas where apprenticeships can benefit our staff and explore if an apprentice could be recruited for any new role.
“We champion high-quality training and excellent opportunities through apprenticeships, and our track record of high passes, which are way above the national average of 62 per cent, goes to show the success of our programme so far.
“Above all, being named in the Top 10 best apprentice employers in the UK and a leader in apprenticeships in the North West is recognition of the hard work I see daily from our apprentices and everyone involved in our programmes.”
The listing is the latest accolade for the apprenticeship programme at Optionis, which picked up the ‘Inspiring Apprenticeships Award’ at the 2019 Cheshire Business Awards. The company has also previously been praised as ‘shining example’ by vocational education specialist City & Guilds.
Optionis is the UK’s leading accountancy, tax and umbrella employment solution provider to contractors and small businesses.
The group has multiple UK offices across the UK, encompassing seven brands, including SJD Accountancy, ClearSky Accounting, Parasol, First Freelance and Nixon Williams.
For more information about Optionis and the range of apprenticeships available, visit: https://www.optionis.co.uk/apprenticeships/
