Future Skills Award
The Future Skills Award aims to recognise an organisation or individuals’ contribution to furthering future skills and apprenticeships in the UK. The award, launched by the HomeServe Foundation and supported by a range of partners, enables recipients to both demonstrate and promote their commitment to creating training or job chances for people actively looking for work or to grow their skills.
The recognition is awarded to individuals and businesses – both large and small – who are supporting the growth of future skills across any industry in the UK. Everyone receiving the Future Skills Award will be given a toolkit to celebrate and promote the accreditation to their employees, partners, or customers, and businesses can also apply for the award directly themselves.
Every application is judged on its individual merits and will need to meet one or more of the criteria set out below.
What is the Future Skills Award?
Recognising those investing in future skills
The award was launched to celebrate those individuals and organisations who are increasing the uptake of apprentices in the UK.
It recognises the investment being made by businesses of all shapes and sizes, and across all industries who are providing more chances for people seeking employment or looking to reskill.
It could be that businesses are:
- Creating apprenticeship opportunities
- Utilising government incentives and schemes to further future skills in their industries
- Using or donating the Apprenticeship Levy to create more jobs or skills opportunities
- Championing the growth of apprenticeships and future skills
- Making a significant contribution to furthering skills
How do I apply for a Future Skills Award?
The HomeServe Foundation is coordinating the programme, and the award is given to individuals and businesses who are supporting the growth of future skills across any industry in the UK.
You can also put yourself or your business forward for an award or nominate someone else. All you need to do is get in touch with us and we’ll walk you through the application process.
It’s important that you meet one or more of the criteria listed below to be eligible for consideration.
| Recipient | Qualifies why? | Other qualifying criteria/success measure |
|---|---|---|
| Employer | Employs an apprentice/s through to completion and retains apprentice post training (min 1yr) | Percentage of overall employees, e.g., an organisation that employs 20 people and has one apprentice (5% of workforce) can be equally successful as a business that employs 1000 and takes on 50 apprentices (5%). Initially, the award will be available to all employers in the Construction, Home Improvements and Repairs sector this can be extended further with support from NAS. |
| Employer | All employers who support apprentices via training an apprentice or levy donations or making it a requirement of their subcontractors to take on an apprentice | The award will be available to all sectors that support apprentices or support others to employ an apprentice in the Construction, Home Improvements and Repairs sector, however this can be extended further with support from NAS. |
| ‘Champion’ | Makes a significant contribution to furthering Skills. | Employer, trade body, lobbying group, individual. |
Do you think you could qualify for a Future Skills Award? Get in touch with us:
or call us on 0115 697 7177 and we’ll talk to you about the application process.
What will I receive?
Everyone receiving the Future Skills Award will be given a certificate and a toolkit to help them actively promote the accreditation.
The toolkit will include information and advice to help businesses market their achievements, including Future Skills Award logos (for physical and digital use), template social posts and templated news release and more.
You will also be joining a unique and growing collection of like-minded people and businesses who are helping to champion jobs growth and create more opportunities for thousands of people across the UK, including many whose jobs may have been impacted by the Covid pandemic.
To speak to us about applying for the award:
Celebrating our Award recipients
Here’s some of our award recipients so far, who have been recognised for their contributions to help drive the future skills agenda and support apprenticeship uptake.
Spotlight – Amazing Apprenticeships
You can find out more by visiting AmazingApprenticeships.com.
Spotlight – Paragon Customer Communications
Spotlight – OnGas
You can find out more about OnGas’s story here.
Spotlight – 64 Degrees
You can read more about Matt’s story here.
Spotlight – Dr Andy Palmer
You can hear more here (click on Season 1 – episode 6).
Spotlight – Grosvenor Facilities Management
Grosvenor Facilities Management is a UK leading provider of facilities management and integrated services for businesses and is widely regarded as a leading apprentice employer.
The company believes in developing young people into their careers through hands on experience and a strong work ethic. It is also championing the redistribution of its unused Apprenticeship Levy to small businesses.
Spotlight – Lander Automotive
Lander is a leading supplier of assembled products primarily in the automotive sector, specialising in fluid and air transfer systems, welded structures, interior trim products, and plastic tubular assemblies.
Its Birmingham HQ uses state-of-the-art design and manufacturing facilities to provide first-class adaptive engineering solutions for major global clients.
To meet evolving customer needs, Lander continues to invest in infrastructure and people, and has an award-winning apprenticeship programme, with a new cohort of the brightest young people going through its academy every eight weeks.
Visit the Lander Automotive website for more information.
Spotlight – BoilerCert
BoilerCert is a growing, ambitious plumbing and heating business based in Nottingham. It works closely with Nottingham estate agents to maintain their tenanted properties as well as specialising in plumbing and heating repairs and maintenance, gas and oil boiler service and installations.
The company has grown year-on-year and manages its future expansion by recruiting and training its own apprentices to meet growing customer demand. The Bridgeford Business Park-based plumbing and heating business was launched by Charlie Keightley in 2008 and it now boasts a 16-strong engineering team.
Visit the BoilerCert website for more information.
Spotlight – Louise Ward
As well as leading the West Midlands Combined Authority’s apprenticeship department, Louise also heads up the Apprenticeship Levy Fund, which collects unspent levy donations from large businesses and delivers them to small local firms that need financial support to take on and train new candidates in relevant skills.
How can I help with future skills or hire an apprentice?
You can find out more by visiting our HomeServe Foundation website. We’re the official charity of HomeServe Plc and are aiming to help businesses across the UK find and hire thousands of apprentices.
By visiting our website, you can find out more about:
- Choosing an apprenticeship for your business or organisation
- Find an organisation that offers training for the apprenticeship you’ve chosen
- Check what funding is available for training and other costs to your organisation
- Advertise your apprenticeship - you or your training provider can do this through the recruit an apprentice service
- Select your apprentice and make an apprenticeship agreement and commitment statement with them
You can also send us a message
Once we receive your enquiry a member of our team will be in touch to understand how best we can assist you.
