Hull-headquartered Sewell Group has been presented with their King’s Award for Enterprise for Promoting Opportunity.
The award was handed over to the company by the King’s representative in East Yorkshire, HM Lord-Lieutenant Mr Jim Dick OBE, in an event hosted by former Secretary of State for Education and Skills The Rt Hon Alan Johnson.
The company, which includes businesses that work in estates consultancy, construction, retail, facilities management and software, was awarded the prestigious accolade to recognise their GATEway initiative, a programme that aims to help people from disadvantaged backgrounds into the world of work through graduate opportunities, apprenticeships, trainee schemes, work experience and advocacy.
The Lord-Lieutenant particularly praised Sewell Group’s work with CatZero, a charity which has transformed the lives of young people and families living in some of the most deprived communities in the region.
The event was an opportunity for staff to celebrate their success and share stories about how opportunities provided through the GATEway programme had led them to their current career success, hosted in a discussion by Alan Johnson.
Sewell Construction’s Kieran Poskitt (29) joined Sewell Group for work experience when he was just 18, after he was unsure where to turn after leaving school. “I spent two weeks on work experience with Sewell Group, trying out different roles from around the business,” he said.
“It opened my eyes to construction roles, and I loved working out on site, so I decided this was the career for me. I applied to and was offered an apprentice joiner role with the company, and in the years since then I progressed to supervisor, and then site manager. That initial opportunity for work experience made a huge difference to my life, and the fact that someone saw potential in me gave me the confidence to improve myself and progress in the company. My past experience means that I’m determined to provide as much support as I can for young people who are struggling to start their career.”
The King’s Awards for Enterprise remain the UK’s most prestigious business accolades. The awards were first launched in 1966, and highlight the strength, innovation and ambition of British Enterprise.
Sewell Group is one of a small number of businesses to have won both a Queen’s Award and a King’s Award for Enterprise, recognising the business’s continuing commitment to giving back to the communities they work in.