Whitbread has revealed that its staff retention rate is 10% higher for apprentices, equating to £5m in reduced costs, increased sales and better guest experiences.
The news comes as the hotel operator has been shortlisted for the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2024 as a ‘Large Employer of the Year’ Finalist.
Apprenticeship Awards Cymru is organised by the Welsh government and supported by the National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW), and aims to highlight “the outstanding achievements of employers, apprentices and work-based learning practitioners”.
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at ICC Wales in Newport on 22 March.
Over the past year, more than 270 Whitbread Group employees have achieved an apprenticeship and in excess of 2,000 are currently working towards one across the UK.
In a UK-wide survey, 86% of the company’s employees said an apprenticeship had improved their confidence in their role and 90% believed they had developed new skills.
Meanwhile, 47% were promoted or have taken on extra responsibilities within a year of completing their apprenticeship, and 20% of deputy hotel managers were promoted from an apprenticeship.
Richard Brooks-Harley, apprenticeship delivery manager at Whitbread Group, said: “Our founder, Samuel Whitbread, was himself an apprentice which makes apprenticeships a core part of our DNA.”