England’s largest hair and beauty training provider, Saks Apprenticeships, has beaten 799 others to be named the best in the country by employers.

Saks Apprenticeships scored highest in the newly published government survey for employer satisfaction, scoring a 9.8 employer satisfaction rating for the year 2014-2015.

Saks Apprenticeships, which delivers hair, beauty and management apprenticeships, currently has more than 500 apprentices working in 240 salons nationwide.

Tina Rook, Head of Education at Saks Apprenticeships, said: “Coming top out of 800 leading providers is a huge achievement and testament to our continued commitment to providing the highest standards for our learners and our employers.

“Saks Apprentices have the opportunity to gain Government-recognised qualifications in subjects including hairdressing, barbering and beauty therapy, alongside real work experience and a wage.

“This combination of training and skills is a proven route into employment and more than 80% of Saks Apprentices stay in employment once they have completed their qualification.”

Saks Apprenticeships, which has been delivering programmes for 15 years, is widely recognised, having achieved outstanding grade across the board during Government inspection and hailed as an example of best practice.

The Government’s employer satisfaction survey asks employers to rate their experience with their chosen training provider, answering questions around different aspects of training delivered by individual college and training organisations. This enables employers to compare providers.

The independently conducted survey, administered by the Skills Funding Agency, captures employers’ views on the quality of the training provided and the responsiveness of their college or training organisation to the employer’s needs. In the newly published survey, Saks Apprenticeships was the only provider to score 9.8, a rating based upon scores submitted by respondents to the survey.

However, Saks Apprenticeships is currently working to draw attention to a national shortage of teenagers taking up apprenticeship opportunities, with more than 100 vacancies for programmes run by Saks Apprenticeships in salons all over the country.

Tina Rook added: “We need young people to recognise that they can leave school at 16 as long as they have something like an apprenticeship to go into.

“By the time you’re 18 you could be fully qualified in your Intermediate and Advanced beauty therapy qualification, working on the salon floor and earning a wage. It’s a fantastic opportunity.”

For more information visit www.saksapprenticeships.co.uk or contact the team, tel 01325 341 627.