Princess Yachts receives Princess Royal award for apprenticeship scheme

Princess Yachts has been awarded a Princess Royal Training Award for its apprenticeship scheme.

The awards are selected by HRH The Princess Royal and the President of City & Guilds Group to recognise organisations whose training has delivered measurable business impact. The City & Guilds Group announced last Friday, that 43 recipients from a wealth of sectors have been commended by the 2020 Princess Royal Training Awards.

“We are so pleased to be awarded a Princess Royal Training Award for our apprenticeship programme,” says Alison Thompson, Head of Learning & Development at Princess Yachts. “The assessment process was rigorous and very different this year, taking place remotely via MS Teams. However, the assessors took the time to speak to some of our apprentices and to gain a better understanding of our collaborative partnership with South Devon College who support us in the delivery of our programme.”

Now in its fifth year, the Princess Royal Training Awards recognises employers across the United Kingdom with outstanding training and development programmes that have had a direct impact on business performance. Princess Yachts, as a 2020 winner of an award, has demonstrated ‘exceptional commitment to training, despite facing unprecedented challenges of Covid-19’ and ‘positioning apprenticeships as a viable career choice’ according to the judges.

Princess Yachts continued recruitment for its apprenticeship scheme throughout the Covid-19 lockdown period via Zoom interviews. A record number of apprentices, placed across all areas of the business, will be starting their programme at Princess Yachts in September 2020.

Princess Yachts was also recognised for having invested in its apprenticeship programme to ensure that it has a strong talent pipeline in place. Apprenticeships at Princess Yachts are open to employees of any age, with apprentices progressing their career path within the business. 10% of the current managers within the business being former apprentices.

“It is great to know we are setting the right standards, experience and support to our apprentices as they begin their career with us and ultimately the marine industry,” adds Thompson.