Top apprenticeship employers celebrated for 2025
Source: gov.uk (2025-07-04)

Large and small companies recognised for their apprenticeship programmes, creating opportunities and driving growth.

Employers across the country have been recognised by the government for their outstanding commitment to apprenticeships.

The Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers and Top 50 SME Apprenticeship Employers tables for 2025 showcase the very best apprenticeship programmes over the past 12 months.

The Department for Education has partnered with RateMyApprenticeship to deliver the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers 2025 rankings. The 2025 rankings recognise and celebrate England’s leading apprenticeship employers for their overall commitment to employing apprentices, the diversity of their apprentices, whether their apprentices achieve and for the first time in 2025 - the apprentices’ own feedback on their employer’s programme.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

Congratulations to all the employers recognised for their outstanding apprenticeship programmes. They are delivering the skilled workforce we need to deliver our number one mission to grow the economy, and breaking down barriers for young people across the country.

For the first time, the voices of apprentices themselves were front and centre in showcasing where employers are raising the bar in quality and experience. These rankings are a testament to what can be achieved when businesses invest in people, and the transformative power of apprenticeships in delivering our Plan for Change.

The Top 10 Apprenticeship Employers for 2025 are:
- Mitchells & Butlers
- BAE Systems
- Amazon
- John Lewis Partnership
- Busy Bees Childcare
- Department for Work and Pensions
- GXO Logistics
- Whitbread
- McDonald’s
- PwC
Catering and hospitality company Mitchells & Butlers has been named the country’s number one apprenticeship employer for 2025, while maintenance services provider MCFT has been named this year’s top SME apprenticeship employer.

The Top 5 SME Apprenticeship Employers for 2025 are:
- MCFT
- Smailes Goldie
- MDS Ltd
- PM+M Solutions for Business LLP
- Forbury Gardens Day Nursery
Susan Martindale, Group HR Director at Mitchells & Butlers, said:

We are incredibly honoured to be recognised as the UK’s number one apprenticeship employer for 2025. At Mitchells & Butlers, our apprentices aren’t just part of our business – they are the future of our business.

Through our apprenticeship programmes, we’ve created pathways for people to earn while they learn, gaining valuable skills and confidence that benefit them throughout their hospitality careers. Our commitment to developing talent at all levels has created a thriving culture where skills and potential can flourish. This recognition reflects the dedication of our entire team in creating meaningful career opportunities across our brands.

Chris Craggs, MCFT Founder said:

Being named the number one SME employer of apprentices is a tremendous honour and reflects our commitment to tackling the current and future skills shortage in commercial catering and refrigeration engineering.

Being an employer-provider was the only clear path to solving the issues, ensuring we were providing the best place where people wanted to come and learn, giving them hands on skills and experience to be the best in the industry, and the chance to earn-and-learn, leading to a long-term career. We’ve invested heavily in a national state of the art training facility, quality and compliance staff, and a team of in-house technical trainers who we support in developing as educators.

Our apprentices—whether field-based or office-based—gain real-world, hands-on experience from day one. We’re committed to building a diverse workforce, with local teams serving local customers and targeted initiatives to increase the number of female technicians. This recognition reinforces our belief in investing in long-term talent, not just meeting the needs of today. We couldn’t be prouder of all our apprentices and the positive impact they continue to make.

Defence and security specialist BAE Systems secured the second spot in the Top 100 rankings.

Richard Hamer, HR Director, Education & Skills at BAE Systems, said:

We’re delighted to be ranked second in the Top 100. Apprenticeships are critical to the future skills needs of BAE Systems. We are proud to have a record 4,600 apprentices currently in learning with us providing a diverse pipeline of talented young people underpinning our future success.

Our STEM skill requirements range from welding and pipefitting at the advanced apprenticeship level to software, cyber and nuclear engineering at the degree apprenticeship level. These apprenticeships create pathways to highly valuable life-long careers for young people from all backgrounds whilst supporting economic growth across the UK.

The rankings attracted strong entries from across a wide range of industries including hospitality, retail, professional services, logistics, childcare and manufacturing across the private, public and charitable sectors.

For the full list of Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers and the Top 50 SME Apprenticeship Employers visit https://www.top-apprenticeshipemployers.co.uk/2025-winners

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