RNN Group hosts its first Employer Awards Ceremony

The RNN Group celebrated the hard work, dedication and invaluable support of local employers at its inaugural Employer Awards ceremony in November.

Held at the AESSEAL New York Stadium on Thursday 28th November, the evening was a chance to reward the employer partners that have stood out during the past academic year. 

The Employer Awards were launched by the Group this year to celebrate and thank the hundreds of employers we work with who provide high quality apprenticeships, T Level placements, work experience, and guest lectures for our students.

These businesses vary in size and cover a range of industries, from healthcare and aviation to construction and manufacturing.

As an education provider, we are committed to ensuring our students are ready for the world of work and are highly employable. Engagement and exposure to industry professionals is an essential element of this.

Collaboration between education and industry is key to bridging those skills gaps seen by employers. It has also proven to unlock confidence and a wealth of opportunities for those young people starting out on their career journeys.

T Level provision was in the spotlight on the night. As a group, we have invested £16 million over the last 12 months, with a big focus on upgrading our facilities to accommodate the growing number of T Levels. This includes a new £4m construction centre at Rotherham College and a £4m T Level centre at North Notts College. But T Levels couldn’t go ahead without our employer partners who offer our students the mandatory 45-day work placements.

Our forward-thinking employer partners aren’t just offering placements but are actively shaping the futures of students and the economy. We have a developed a broad range of employer academies – one for each curriculum at all our five sites. This means that employers work with us to devise the curriculum based on what skills they are seeking from employees.

Hosted by RNN’s CEO and Principal, Jason Austin, representatives from 80 of our employer partners joined us on the night. Jason took to the stage to present ten special awards, with each winner awarded with a certificate and trophy. 

Staff from the RNN Group put forward their nominations for the categories, with our executive leadership team selecting the overall winners and highly commended.

Megan Roberts is the Social Values Manager at Esh Construction, who took home two awards on the night. The North-East based contractor has worked with RNN Group for 18 months, helping us set up T Levels in construction and business and becoming an employer academy to offer mock interviews, transferrable skills, and innovative projects for students.

On receiving the awards, Megan said:

“I didn’t anticipate two awards but we are really proud of the recognition for all we’ve done within the last 18 months. We’ve become an extended part of the RNN team. Their drive for innovation and changing their way of working to reflect the industrial landscape is a breath of fresh air. Next year we hope this partnership will be bigger and better.”

South Electrical also celebrated double success on the night, taking home two awards and a highly commended. They have an award-winning apprenticeship programme, with a third of their 100-strong workforce employed as apprentices.

South Electrical are also one of our employer academies, offering guest lecturing at North Notts College and University Centre Rotherham.

Director Richard South said of their awards:

“RNN Group work with hundreds of employers so to be recognised at the top is great and shows they appreciate how much time we invest into this partnership. Apprentices are getting better all the time and some of our best electricians are those who came through the ranks.”

We wish to extend a huge congratulations to all our nominees and award winners. We look forward to continuing to work in close partnership for years to come.

The categories, highly commended and winners were as follows:

RNN Group’s Business of the Year Supporting RNN Apprenticeships
Highly Commended – Rotherham NHS Trust
Winner – South Electrical

RNN Group’s Subcontractor of the Year
Highly Commended – Lifeskills
Winner – Castleview

RNN Group’s Employer Partner of the Year
Highly Commended – CMD Ltd
Winner – MTL

RNN Group’s Employer Academy of the Year
Highly Commended – Wrights Renewables
Winner – South Electrical

RNN Group’s New Business partner of the Year
Highly Commended – Aira
Winner – Esh

RNN Group’s Small Business of the Year
Highly Commended – House of Light
Winner – Glacier Energy

RNN Group’s Large Business of the Year
Highly Commended – Millgate Connect
Winner – Equans

RNN Group’s ‘Skills for Employment’ Business of the Year
Highly Commended – Titans
Winner – Esh

RNN Group’s Innovative Business Partner of the Year
Highly Commended – South Electrical
Winner – Quiet Tiger

RNN Group’s Community Focused Business Partner of the Year
Highly Commended – Equans
Winner – Rotherham NHS Trust