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The Opportunity Provider (TOP) has been ranked 28th in The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers and in 1st place in the Education & Training sector, securing its place among the UK’s leading organisations for developing talent through apprenticeships and workforce development.
The national ranking recognises employers that are setting the standard in creating high-quality apprenticeship opportunities, investing in skills and delivering meaningful progression for their people.
For TOP, the recognition represents more than an external accolade – it reflects a philosophy that sits at the heart of the organisation. As a business dedicated to helping employers unlock potential through apprenticeships and training, being recognised among the UK’s leading apprenticeship employers demonstrates that TOP does not simply deliver apprenticeships – it actively lives and breathes them through the way it develops and invests in its own people.
TOP employs 382 people across the UK and brings together a group of specialist training providers dedicated to developing skills, careers and workforce capability across multiple sectors.
Its award-winning brands include HIT Training, the market-leading apprenticeship and training provider for hospitality, catering and retail; Connect2Care, which specialises in adult care, early years and funeral services; and EDN Training, a specialist provider of leadership and management development programmes.
Together, these businesses support employers and learners across the UK, helping people gain new skills, progress their careers and achieve their potential through high-quality training and apprenticeships.
The achievement is particularly significant as TOP is understood to be the only training provider included in this year’s Top 100, underlining its position not only as a leader in apprenticeship delivery, but as an organisation that demonstrates the impact of apprenticeships through its own workforce.
This latest recognition also complements TOP’s status as a Gold accredited member of The 5% Club – a national movement of more than 1,200 employers committed to creating meaningful “earn and learn” opportunities through apprenticeships, graduate programmes and formal workplace training.
Gold membership is awarded through The 5% Club’s independently assessed Employer Audit and recognises organisations demonstrating exceptional commitment to investing in skills, career development and creating opportunities for people to progress.
For TOP, achieving Gold status reflects a long-standing commitment to practising what it champions externally. By creating structured pathways for learning and development across its own workforce, TOP ensures colleagues have meaningful opportunities to build skills, progress their careers and fulfil their potential.
Together, TOP’s inclusion in The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers and its Gold accreditation from The 5% Club provide independent recognition of an approach that places people development at the centre of business success.
Speaking on behalf of TOP, Mike Worley, Managing Director said:
“We are incredibly proud to be ranked 28th in The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers. This recognition means a great deal to us because apprenticeships are not simply something we deliver – they are part of who we are as an organisation.
“Every day, we see the difference that investing in people can make – helping individuals build rewarding careers while enabling employers to develop talent, strengthen capability and create long-term success. But we also believe that credibility comes from living those values ourselves.
“We don’t just support apprenticeships for others – we invest in them across our own workforce and create meaningful opportunities for people to learn, progress and reach their potential. To be recognised not only as one of the UK’s leading apprenticeship employers, but also as the only training provider included in this year’s Top 100, is an incredibly proud moment.
“Combined with our Gold accredited membership of The 5% Club, this recognition reinforces our belief that organisations that prioritise learning and development build stronger businesses, stronger teams and a more sustainable future.”
TOP’s inclusion in The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers marks an important milestone for the organisation and further strengthens its position as a leading voice in apprenticeship delivery, workforce development and skills training.
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