The search is on to find the nation's top Apprenticeship employers as the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) launches its prestigious sixth annual Apprenticeship Awards. Employers of all sizes and from all sectors including health and social care are encouraged to enter.

Now in their sixth year, the LSC's national Apprenticeship Awards are designed to recognise employers who are successfully using Apprenticeships to improve business performance and the key role apprentices play in today's world. Apprentices have a really significant impact which spans the breadth of the economy from accountancy and engineering, to construction, creative industries and sport - the world would look very different without them.

The health and social care sector has seen past success at the annual Apprenticeship Awards with two employers shortlisted in last year's awards and one apprentice highly commended in the Young Apprentice category and another highly commended in the Personal Achiever 19-24 age category in 2006.

Health and social care was ranked 11th highest for the number of entries received last year beating traditional Apprenticeships such as gas installation. The LSC urges employers in the social care sector to enter the awards to be in with a chance to win Employer of the Year in one of five categories.

This year we are introducing a new employer category to the awards that will cover macro sized businesses (5000+) to give businesses of all sizes a better chance for recognition.

Launching the 2009 awards, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, John Denham urged the nation to get behind Apprenticeships:

"This government has rescued and expanded Apprenticeships. Ten years ago only 65,000 people started an Apprenticeship by 2007/08 this number had increased almost three and a half times to 225,000.

"And we are determined to do more. In the Queen's speech we announced that we are going to legislate so that every suitably qualified young person has an entitlement to an Apprenticeship. Apprenticeships are becoming a mainstream option for young people and adults who want to get on. And we hope that by the end of the next decade one in five young people will start an Apprenticeship.

"The LSC's annual awards are a fantastic opportunity for employers to showcase the best Apprenticeship schemes and celebrate the talents of their apprentices and I encourage employers to come forward and take part."

Chris Banks, Chair of the Learning and Skills Council added: "In the current economic climate, it is crucial to recognise the importance of training programmes such as Apprenticeships.

"The Apprenticeship Awards offer companies a fantastic opportunity to showcase the business benefits of employing apprentices. Entries to the Awards have increased year on year and we have received well over 4,000 entries since the first Apprenticeship Awards in 2004."

The awards demonstrate the popularity of Apprenticeships amongst employers in all industries and of all sizes, past winners have included businesses as diverse as a ship builder, a nursery, an IT firm and a veterinary practice.

Employers are eligible to enter for one of five categories depending on their company size; Micro (1-9 employees), Small (10-49 employees), Medium (50-249 employees), Large (250-4,999 employees) and the new Macro size category that will cover businesses with over 5,000 employees. They are assessed on a number of criteria including implementation of the Apprenticeship programme, clear demonstration of the way Apprenticeships have benefited their business and the level of support provided to their apprentices.

In addition to the employer Awards, there are three categories open to apprentices - Apprentice of the Year, Advanced Apprentice of the Year and Young Apprentice of the Year.

The Awards Premier Sponsor for the fifth consecutive year is City & Guilds.

Chris Jones, director-general of City & Guilds commented: "Any business can only be as good as the skills of its workforce, and the Apprenticeship Awards showcases the very best in staff training and development. As well as applauding individual and employer successes, these Awards are a testament to the real business benefits apprentices can bring, and City & Guilds are proud to be a sponsor for the fifth year running."

To enter the Awards, or for more information, visit Apprenticeships/awards or call 0800 954 8896. Deadline for entries is 27th February 2009. The Apprenticeship Awards will be held on 16 July 2009 at Old Billingsgate Market, Central London.

Around 200,000 apprentices start each year and more than 110,000 individuals completed their Apprenticeships in 2007. Over 130,000 businesses in England offer Apprenticeships.

Learning and Skills Council:

The LSC exists to make England better skilled and more competitive. We are responsible for ensuring the availability of high-quality education and training for everyone. We have a single goal: to improve the skills of England's young people and adults to world class standards. Our vision is that young people and adults in England have knowledge and skills matching the best in the world and are part of a truly competitive workforce. We work nationally, regionally and locally to deliver this ambition on behalf of learners and employers.

Apprenticeships