We are excited to announce the launch of Aptus Academy, which was unveiled in October and is supported by our new Academy website.
31 Aptus Academy members at various stages in their careers have received welcome packs and an official induction. The inaugural inductees include our September intake of multi-utility apprentices, and apprentices completing NVQ Level 3 in business administration. We are also delighted to welcome on board Aptus colleagues from our gas, water, electric, streetlighting and finance teams, who are in the process of gaining additional qualifications and skills as part of their ongoing development, as well as our 2021 multi-utility apprentices.
This year marks 10 years since our first business administration apprentice joined the company. Since then, we have continually developed our training and recruitment strategy, and have made significant investment in upskilling our people, including £500,000 in our award-winning multi-utility apprenticeship scheme.
Aptus Academy is the culmination of a consistent focus on delivering first-class training across the business and an indication of our commitment to the future. Aptus is recognised as a leading training provider in the sector, winning North West SME Apprenticeship Employer of the Year at the National Apprenticeship Awards in 2018, and gaining recognition for our Multi-Utility Training Scheme at the Insider Young Professionals Awards 2022.
Natasha Clarke, Aptus People Director, said: “Aptus has been a major investor in training and development for over a decade, winning multiple awards along the way. We felt it was the right time to combine our training and apprenticeships under ‘Aptus Academy’, which cements our commitment to developing industry talent and provides an attractive, visible platform for us to proactively promote Aptus career pathways.”
Aptus Academy will provide a forum through which we can offer additional scope for participants to enhance their career progression. Each year, members will be invited to take part in workshops, which will include group activities, roundtable discussions, feedback sessions and presentations from speakers on topics such as wellbeing, finance and communication. There will also be opportunities to celebrate our members’ achievements and success.
Natasha added: “The Academy allows us to promote the Aptus Academy values and we hope it will further inspire and motivate those who contribute positively to ‘The Aptus Way’ to gain additional qualifications, skills, and experience.
“We are always keen to see our apprentices and colleagues progress. By developing meaningful careers at Aptus and gaining vital industry skills, our people will be equipped and confident to drive the company forward as we continue to grow.”
Aptus recently signed ‘The 5% Club’ charter joining the hundreds of employers across the UK who pledge to achieve 5% of their workforce in ‘earn and learn’ positions within five years. This includes apprentices, sponsored students and graduates on formalised training schemes.
With 64 apprentices enrolled since our inception our apprenticeship schemes have proved a winning formula for recruiting and retaining talented people and ensuring that they are invested in the Aptus values that have driven our company’s success.
Natasha comments: “With more than 10 per cent of our workforce already in apprenticeships and further training or studying higher qualifications, we are pleased to have well surpassed the targets of The 5% Club. We want to build on this success and inspire more young people to explore the range of careers our industry has to offer, and the Academy will be key in helping us to attract and retain new talent.
“We are excited to welcome our inaugural group of Aptus Academy members and look forward to developing the Academy with them over the coming months.”
We welcome anyone interested in an apprenticeship or training scheme with Aptus to check out the Academy website and if you have any questions, please get in touch!
