Brother UK won three categories at the inaugural Print IT Awards with the judges commending the success of the business’s apprenticeship programme and partner-led marketing initiatives.
The technology provider scooped the awards for Best Apprenticeship Programme and OEM Marketing Team of the Year, with the Industry Leader of the Year accolade presented to managing director Phil Jones.
The inaugural award ceremony, which took place online on Thursday 11th February, recognised the achievements of vendors, distributors, service providers and resellers working across the print industry and the individuals that are making a difference.
The judges commended the business’s apprenticeship programme, which aims to develop young talent from Greater Manchester and has a commitment to having 5% of its workforce made up of apprentices, from school leavers and diploma trainees to degree learners.
Since the scheme was set up in 2014, many of the apprentices have gone on to take up varied, permanent roles across the firm.Gemmer Crozier, who was one of Brother UKs first apprentices, was promoted to sustainable development coordinator in 2019, where she plays a vital role in leading the company’s green strategy.
The apprenticeship award also comes as Brother UK celebrates its recent ‘We Invest in Apprentices’ recognition. The accreditation is backed by the government and led by Investors in People, and Brother UK is one of only nine firms to receive the award.
Praise was also given to the business’s marketing team, which was recognised for creating a range of product support packages through a new partner programme, incorporating its business solutions and managed print service (MPS) offerings, to help resellers sell products and services to their customers.
Phil Jones, managing director at Brother UK (Pictured), said: “People sit at the heart of our sustained business success – that’s why this recognition for our apprenticeship programme and marketing team means so much to us.
“These awards are a great testament to the passion and commitment of everyone in the company and we look forward to continuing to build on the initiatives we have in place to support the channel and the communities we work in.”