Bishop's Cleeve-headquartered Ontic — one of Gloucestershire's leading employers — is celebrating a big win at the national Apprenticeship Guide Awards 2024, taking home the Best Apprenticeship in Manufacturing and Engineering.
Beating the likes of EDF Energy and Molson Coors Beverage Company, Ontic was also a finalist in the Best Employer (medium-sized businesses) and Apprentice of the Year categories.
Judges commented on Ontic's supportive and holistic approach to apprenticeship training, in a nod to the company's Life Essentials Project, which teaches young apprentices vital skills such as cooking, basic home maintenance and financial planning.
Rob Grey, learning and development partner at Ontic, said: 'The whole team is ecstatic with this win — although we feel really proud of our apprenticeship programme internally, and receive great feedback from the apprentices themselves — we never expected to win this national award against some of the massive names we were finalists with.
'The apprenticeship programme is a major part of Ontic’s futureproofing, so we make
sure to invest in great training, as well as supporting our apprentices to become well-rounded and healthy people that enjoy their work. The fact this has been recognised
at this level is a proud moment for us all.'
Ontic, which employs 650 people across Cheltenham and Gloucester, also offers financial support for young people who have previously been in care to become apprentices, with three engineering technician programmes available this year.
Applications for Ontic's September 2025 apprenticeship intake will open later this year.
