GREENE KING : AWARDED EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR

The awards, now their 14th year, are run by the National Apprenticeship Service and recognise businesses that grow their own talent with apprenticeships.

Since 2011, Greene King has supported over 9,500 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 pub and restaurant brands.

Rooney Anand, chief executive officer for Greene King, said: 'It is an honour to be recognised by the National Apprenticeship Service for our commitment to apprenticeships. As a leading pub company, we have a responsibility to help young people to get that all important first step on the career ladder or those not able to go into traditional further education and apprenticeships are a great way of helping us to do this.

'Apprenticeships are something we are really passionate about and our scheme has proven a real success for us. We want to support our team members' career paths and their progression within the company, and we are proud that our apprenticeship programme supports us to achieve these goals. We look forward to representing our region and the hospitality sector in the finals!'

Greene King, which is based in Bury St Edmunds, manages 1,800 pubs, restaurants and hotels across the UK and, during National Apprenticeship Week in 2016, pledged to deliver 10,000 apprenticeships over the next three years.

Greene King will now progress to the next stage of the competition to compete for theprestigious title of National Employer of the Year. The awards will be announced in January.