Dale Power Solutions Ltd named as Top 100 UK Employer

NORTH YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND, January 25, 2013 (Press-News.org) Dale has been recognised in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list, announced at National Apprenticeship Awards at The Skills Show in Birmingham in November.

The prestigious Top 100 list, compiled by the National Apprenticeship Service in partnership with City & Guilds, recognises excellence in businesses that employ apprentices. After a rigorous selection process the most outstanding Apprenticeship employers from all four National Apprenticeship Awards employer categories (ranging from small to macro sized business) went forward to feature in the list, which showcases the breadth of employers who now offer Apprenticeships.

For more than 77 years Dale has provided their business partners with high quality secure power solutions and services, protecting critical power supplies at all times and in all conditions. The business specialises in protecting the most demanding applications in all major sectors including power utilities, oil and gas, telecommunications, medical and financial services, where the Dale and Erskine product brands are synonymous with outstanding ser-vice, reliability and expertise.

Dale's vision is to be the leading provider of Secure Power Solutions and related services in the UK and emulate this business model in overseas markets; earning customer respect through continuous improvement driven by the energy, integrity, technical excellence,teamwork and innovation of employees.

As part of the commitment to education and apprenticeships the company believes it is important to begin by playing an active role with pre-employment and therefore works very closely with NYBEP to develop the employability skills of young people so that they can progress on to positive destinations in learning and work; investing in the bond between education and business, everyone stands to gain through the new opportunities this can present.

To this end, Dale has been working with NYBEP to explore supporting schools in the local area to access opportunities and experiences that will help to achieve aspirations around agendas including careers education, support for vulnerable learners and the profes-sional development of staff. This has resulted in sponsoring five local schools to enable access to the NYBEP network through the Education Membership Service.

Dale also fully supports the local schools with their work experience programmes, offering structured placements for students from Key Stage 4 upwards.Derwent Training Association is a local training provider offering off-site training for Apprentices at a specialist centre working with fully qualified instructors from an industry background. This training partner has established a first class reputation, being recognised as a bench mark for excellence and high quality training and business support Derwent Training's relationship with Dale Power goes back over several years and in that time 20 apprentices have been trained and mentored to completion on the four year Advanced Apprenticeship Programme. All of these Apprentices go on to do additional learning with Derwent in the form of attending commercial courses in the Electrical and Electronics field. Valerie Richards [Chief Executive of DTA] comments:

"Engineering is a fast moving environment and both Derwent and Dale are committed to training Apprentices to the highest standard and therefore ensuring that a skilled young engineering workforce is constantly introduced into the work place."

One of Dale's key strengths is their technical competence; in partnership with Derwent and the University of Hull Apprentices are given the opportunity to achieve a Higher Apprenticeship. Qualifications are progressed through NVQ level 4 and Foundation Degree with top up options to reach Full Degree qualifications via Dale's training and education partners.

The National Training Awards recognise organisations that have delivered outstanding training programmes and the National Apprenticeship Awards celebrate the achievements of the country's most outstanding Apprenticeship employers and their apprentices. Both awards are organised by the National Apprenticeship Service, who received in excess of 1,500 high quality entrants this year in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Sue Price Divisional Area Director for the North, from the National Apprenticeship Service, said: "This year's awards were a terrific showcase of the outstanding wealth of talent that we have across Yorkshire and the Humber. Given the volume and high calibre of entries we received,
I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate Dale Power Solutions. They are a testament to the many benefits Apprenticeships and training bring to businesses, allowing employers to tap into new raw talent, up-skill their staff and grow."

David Way, Chief Executive of the National Apprenticeship Service, congratulated Dale on its success: "The breadth and depth of employers on our Top 100 list just goes to show the huge impact Apprenticeships have on companies of all sizes and the UK economy.

"Apprenticeships are the country's gold standard for vocational training. As part of the new era for Apprenticeships we are introducing measures to ensure there has never been a better time for employers to hire apprentices.

"With more Higher, degree level, Apprenticeships, rigorous new standards for all Apprenticeships and new financial incentives for small firms who hire their first apprentices, employers can be confident that Apprenticeships will deliver for them." Meanwhile, CEO and Director General of City & Guilds, Chris Jones, said: "At City & Guilds, we're all about helping people and organisations develop their skills for growth.

Apprenticeships are integral to helping us achieve this; they develop the workforce of tomorrow, whilst giving people the skills they need to succeed in employment. To be named a Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer is a sign of excellence and Dale Power Solutions should feel incredibly proud of what they've achieved. I hope that other employers will be inspired by their success to discover the benefits appren-ticeships can offer."

Dale Power Solutions is a leading secure power provider, for energy utilities, telecommunications, oil and gas. medical and financial services. For more information, please contact us at http://www.dalepowersolutions.com