13 October, 2015

Greene King, the country's leading pub retailer and brewer, has been named by the Top Apprenticeship Careers List as one of the top 50 apprenticeship employers in the UK.

The Apprenticeship Careers List, which is produced in association with the Daily Telegraph, aims to raise awareness of apprenticeships and celebrate the country's leading companies who are investing in young people.

Greene King was recognised as one of the top 10 organisations within the retail and services sector in terms of employee retention rate, recruitment strategy and the number of apprenticeships offered per year.

Since 2011, Greene King has helped support over 7,400[i] apprentices and offers bespoke qualifications that support a range of job roles including front of house, kitchen and management that are tailored to each of the Greene King retail brands.

Through a combination of workplace learning and additional industry masterclasses, apprentices develop the capabilities and technical skills that enable them to reach their potential and support Greene King in delivering exceptional customer service. In just four years, 4,000 Greene King apprentices have achieved a qualification and 3,400 learners are currently working towards Level 2-4 qualifications.

Greene King, which manages 1,900 pubs, hotels and restaurants across the UK, announced earlier this year that it had reached a key milestone by recruiting its 1,000th apprentice. This put the company ahead of schedule in its pledge to recruit 2,000 apprentices in the year to March 2016.

Rooney Anand, chief executive officer of Greene King, said: 'We are very proud to be named as one of the UK's top 50 apprenticeship employers. As a leader in hospitality, employing over 40,000 people across the UK, it is important to us that we attract, train and retain the very best people. This is why we strongly believe in the value of apprenticeships, and remain committed to growing, developing and investing in young people. It is important to raise awareness of apprenticeships as a credible alternative to further education, which allows young people to get that all-important step on the career ladder.'

Alex Khan, CEO of Lifetime Training, Greene King's apprenticeship training provider, says: 'Greene King is one of our leading clients with a great commitment to apprenticeships, so it is very fitting that their success is being recognised nationally. Being named as a UK Top 50 apprenticeship organisation is testament to their hard work and dedication to contributing to the government's aim of three million apprentices by 2020.'

[i] The 7,400 includes Spirit Pub Company, which Greene King acquired in June 2015

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