Top UK Family Business Apprentice Employers 2024

Family Business United has compiled a list of the UK's leading Family Business Apprentice Employers for 2024 to demonstrate the contribution that family firms across the UK are making to employing apprentices and their investment in the next generation of employees.

This is the third year that the report has been complied to showcase the family business sector and their commitment to apprentices within their businesses.

Key Findings:

• Bagnalls come out on top as the overall top family business apprentice employer in the UK

• JCB top the list when it comes to employing the most apprentices in the UK by a family business

• Scot JCB have the highest proportion of apprentices within their workforce

• The top 20 family business apprentice employers have 1,012 apprentices working for them

• 384 new apprenticeships started in the year to June 2024

• 127 apprentices were concluded in the year to June 2024.

The Top UK Family Business Apprentice Employers

Submissions were received from all corners of the UK and the top 20 included in the report represent the best in terms of number of apprentices, the creation of new apprenticeships and the number of apprentices completing and graduating from their apprenticeship programme in the year to June 2024.

The top family business apprentice employers in the UK for 2024 are:

1. Bagnalls

2. Hendy Group

3. KW Bell Group

4. JCB

5. Scot JCB

6. William Hare Group

7. Simpsons Malt Ltd

8. GAP Group

9. Frederic Robinson Ltd

10. The Clancy Group

11. John Good Group

12. McAlpine & Co Ltd

13. Malcolm Group

14. Bailie Group

15. Novus Property Solutions

16. JW Lees & Co

17. HE Simm Group

18. Walker's Shortbread Ltd

19. Allied Vehicles Group

20. Brewers Decorator Centres

Apprenticeships are seen as a rich source of craftsmanship, worthy of ongoing investment and it is great to see the number of apprentices in this annual report increasing year on year. Furthermore, the businesses in the report represent sectors of the economy that include property and construction, manufacturing and engineering, motor retail, consulting services and food and drink mirroring the growth and availability of apprenticeships in sectors away from where they may have been more traditionally aligned in the past.

As Paul Andrews, Founder and CEO of Family Business Untied concludes: "Family businesses are innovative and entrepreneurial and it is great to see so many providing apprenticeships within their organisations."

"This is our third report and it clearly highlights the growing importance of apprenticeships to family firms across the UK and the continuing commitment from leading family businesses to continue to invest in the ongoing development of the next generation of their staff. There are significant numbers of apprenticeship opportunities available within the family business sector in the UK today and they provide a fantastic stepping stone into a career with long term development opportunities that may even take you to a board position in the future."

"It is a privilege to be able to highlight the positive contribution that family firms are making by way of apprenticeships and to shine a light once more on the fantastic way that the family business sector is embracing learning and development within the way that they operate."

A copy of the final report is available to download here and is free to Family Business United members and digital subscribers.

Furthermore, if you would like further details about the report, wish to supply figures for the 2025 campaign or are interested in sponsoring the next report, please do not hesitate to contact us.