Manchester-based tech firm ANS Group has been recognised for its work in boosting career opportunities through apprenticeships, ranking in a list of the most outstanding apprenticeship employers in the country for 2022.

The government-led Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list is designed to showcase the very best of England’s apprenticeship employers, with organisations highlighted for providing the most successful apprenticeship programmes over the previous 12 months.

ANS, which employs more than 700 people and delivers digital services for 7,000 customers, placed 55th in the 2022 list, ahead of many larger organisations.

The tech firm’s apprenticeship scheme dates back to 2013, with the company becoming a training provider in its own right in 2017. 215 candidates have so far graduated from the ANS Academy and a further 60 are currently in training.

Key performance indicators in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list include apprentice numbers; completion rates; rates of further employment and promotion within the company; and diversity of apprenticeship candidates.

Tom Robinson, Head of Apprenticeships at ANS Group, said: “ANS has been a huge advocate of apprenticeships for many years. We’ve invested in our in-house training centre and in our Ofsted Outstanding training team to ensure that we provide the best possible experience for our apprentices.

“By bringing our apprenticeship training in house, ANS apprentices get frontline, hands-on experience; support and mentoring from some of the most qualified tech teams in the UK; and wraparound training and pastoral support from a team of trainers who work within the business and understand what it’s all about.”

ANS offers apprenticeships in tech, commercial, finance, business administration and marketing.

In the last five years, 77% of ANS apprentices have passed with distinction, and 85% have gone directly into promoted positions upon graduation.

Members of ANS’s training team were recently invited to the House of Lords for an event celebrating the achievements of the country’s top apprenticeship employers.

ANS CEO Paul Shannon commented: “Featuring in the government’s list of Top Apprenticeship Employers is a fantastic validation of our team and the investment ANS has put into apprenticeships. But we won’t stop here. We’re targeting the top 10!”

“Apprenticeships provide an incredible way of developing the talent and specialist skills that tech businesses need, while providing huge opportunities for apprentices to quickly develop in their careers. It’s inspiring to see the senior roles many of our former apprentices have gone on to and the things they’re achieving.”

ANS is currently recruiting candidates for its Tech apprenticeship programme.