Our Nominees for Pre-employment Employer of the Year

Pre-employment Employer of the Year Shortlist Announced 

The final countdown is on for Business Awards, with just one more week to go! It is time now to turn our attention to the nominees for Pre-employment Employer of the Year. 

These are businesses which use our excellent Pre-employment courses to prepare people for an apprenticeship course or full-time employment. This preparation is often vital to ensuring that the student's potential is reached in the workplace. The businesses in this category are Apache Construction, Bespoke Building and Carpentry, and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.  

Good luck to all nominees! 

Apache Construction 

Apache Construction has engaged with Weston College’s Pre-employment team via the Constructing Lives Together Project. Learners have completed their work experience with Apache, and several of these learners have gone on to gain full-time employment.  

During the pandemic Apache Construction lost several key members of their team and approached Weston College to support them with their recruitment needs. Candidates have developed at a really quick rate with Apache, who have been extremely supportive and patient with learners. They have proved to be a fantastic employer to partner with.  

Bespoke  

Bespoke have been supporting our recent North Somerset Works Together and our Constructing Lives Together project by giving learners access to work experience opportunities. For many learners this was their first ever experience in the construction sector 

Some of these learners would not have otherwise accessed this valuable experience on site to explore the construction sector.  They have shown great empathy and are very supportive to all the learners that they take on. Following placements with Bespoke, learners have gone on to enter the industry, with some going on to full-time employment within construction – including with Bespoke.  

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust 

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has engaged with Weston College through Sector Based Work Academies, which has resulted in over 80 people being employers by the NHS in clinical and support roles. 

They started off by recruiting vaccinators, but that has since evolved, and they now offer over 350 different career pathways. Not only has this course been a great opportunity for people to gain valuable experience with the NHS, but it has also supported them with their application process and helped to prepare them for interviews.