Whitbread and Lifetime Training Win At The 2021 Learning Excellence Awards

@WhitbreadPLC and Lifetime Training (@Lifetime_UK) have been named winners of the #LearningExcellenceAwards for 2021.

Lifetime and Whitbread entered the awards with their response to continuing to deliver exceptional apprenticeship training amidst the pandemic.

Focusing on aspects such as learner wellbeing and continued communication, the partnership was able to evidence how their quick adaption to digital delivery provided apprentices – many of who were on furlough – with a much-needed focus in a difficult time.

Whitbread has over 1,000 apprentices with Lifetime annually and in partnership maintained a 97% learner engagement through 1-2-1 support, facilitated group learning sessions and online Functional Skills delivery.

Catherine Braybrook, Head of Learning & Development at Whitbread said:

“Whitbread was founded by apprentice Samuel Whitbread all the way back in 1742 so it really is safe to say the value of on-the-job training and study is embraced at the very heart of our business. Our long-term commitment to providing opportunity for all through apprenticeships and to developing our employees to progress their skills – and pay- during their career with us ensured we remained wholeheartedly committed to scheme during 2020 – despite it being the most difficult year for the hospitality industry on record. In partnership with Lifetime, we rapidly adapted both to the pandemic and also the furloughed position many of our learners found themselves in. Because of this, we managed to maintain contact and delivery with our learners, ultimately keeping them engaged and on track. This means that as our business has come out of that hibernation we thankfully do not have a huge mountain to climb to get back on track and our apprentices’ are raring to go and do what they do best – offering an outstanding service to our guests”.

Lifetime’s Chief Commercial Officer, Sean Cosgrove, said: “It’s a huge honour to win this award in partnership with Whitbread. We have developed a really strong partnership, which ensures that we adapt together quickly to provide the best training opportunities for Whitbread’s apprentices.”

“Having this recognised by The Learning Excellence Awards is an excellent accolade and really proves the importance of apprenticeship training, especially as we were up against some amazing companies from across the UK.”

“Lifetime would like to say a huge thank you to the Whitbread Learning and Development team for all their continued hard work in supporting this partnership and we are excited to see what the future holds!”

The Learning Excellence Awards are business awards for the whole business training/learning and development sector. They are UK-centred, impartial and independent and look to reward relevant, agile, innovative, excellent and effective initiatives, programmes, products and services wherever they may be found. 

Lifetime Training is the largest apprenticeship training provider in the UK. Established in 1995, Lifetime Training provides award-winning training programmes to 20,000 learners a year. From programme development to apprenticeship certification, Lifetime Training provides expert and flexible training programmes across a range of industries.