Exeter College presents Devon’s Outstanding Apprentice Employer Award

Simpkins Edwards are proud to announce that, for the second year running, we have won Exeter College’s Outstanding Apprentice Employer Award for the medium sized employer category.

As a firm we have worked together with Exeter College and their apprenticeship programme for over 20 years, and at present we have 10 of our apprentices who study there.

Each year we seek to employ at least two apprentices, and this year we surpassed our goal and welcomed on board 8 apprentices. This brings our total to 15 apprenticeship appointments since the beginning of lockdown.

Our long-standing relationship with Exeter College is important to us and our employees. As such, we acknowledge and appreciate the time and effort which has been dedicated by the college to ensure that the programmes they offer are appropriate, worthwhile, and meet the needs of our ever-changing industry.

Morven Maclean, Exeter College’s Business Development Coordinator comments, “Over 20 years of partnership between Simpkins Edwards and Exeter College has seen their Apprenticeship provision grow year on year. The commitment and dedication they have shown towards their Apprentices, both in developing their skillsets and helping them to achieve their chosen career pathways, is exemplary. Congratulations for this well-deserved recognition.”

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic one of our main priorities was to ensure our apprentices were still receiving continued support and one-to-one training. We quickly introduced Microsoft Teams into our working structure, which allowed each one of our apprentices to have the knowledge that they could contact their mentor at any time, and still continue with their learning despite not being in office.

We believe that the right training is vital for success, and so we invest substantial time into our apprentices as they make their first steps into the working world. Each apprentice is delegated two mentors, and extra support is provided by Partners and senior staff members, alongside current and former apprentices that have qualified, who are each uniquely placed to guide, support, and encourage them through the programme.

We wish to provide an opportunity to those who perhaps want to further their education but decide that University isn’t the right choice for them. Taking part in our apprenticeship programme allows individuals to earn a salary, whilst also gaining workplace experience, which would not necessarily be offered by most degree courses. All study costs, day-release, additional days required at college and study leave are fully paid, and our apprentices also receive our benefits package, which includes private healthcare and pension.

Adrian Hemmings, Training Partner at Simpkins Edwards comments, “Apprenticeships are a great way to start your career, gaining valuable experience in the workplace backed up by support for studying towards industry qualifications, all whilst being paid! Our close relationship with Exeter College helps our students get the most benefit from their apprenticeship so that when they qualify, they have both the theory and the practical experience to support them in the next stage of their working lives.”

We have also been working closely with Exeter College, following changes to government funding. Due to our strong relationship with the College, and our passion to continue to support our apprenticeships, we were extremely privileged to have been invited to a round table meeting with the Prime Minister and the Apprenticeships and Skills Minister to discuss apprenticeships in March of 2021.

Our investment into each individual proves invaluable to us, and this is proven by the majority of our apprentices remaining with us after they have qualified. We encourage individuals to further their professional development, and many of them even continue their studies to become accountants or chartered tax advisers. Our aim is to continue to guide each apprentice through with a vision that one day they may become a partner in the firm or have the skills needed to set up their own accountancy firm.