Marvin OnumonuThe Department for Education (DfE), working with RateMyApprenticeship, revealed the ‘Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers’ and ‘Top 50 small and medium-sized employers (SME) Apprenticeship Employers for 2025’.
Mitchells & Butlers was named the number one apprenticeship employer, with BAE Systems coming in second and Amazon in third.
The top five also included John Lewis Partnership and Busy Bees Childcare.
MCFT topped the list for SME apprenticeship employers.
Some of the other names from the top 100 included Lloyds Banking Group, Royal Air Force, BT Group, Tesco, Network Rail, Go-Ahead, Bupa, Mitie, Specsavers and Greene King.
MCFT, Smailes Goldie, MDS, PM+M Solutions for Business and Forbury Gardens Day Nursery were the top five SME employers.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, said: “Congratulations to all the employers recognised for their outstanding apprenticeship programmes.
“They are delivering the skilled workforce we need to deliver our number one mission to grow the economy, and breaking down barriers for young people across the country.
“For the first time, the voices of apprentices themselves were front and centre in showcasing where employers are raising the bar in quality and experience.
Phillipson added: “These rankings are a testament to what can be achieved when businesses invest in people, and the transformative power of apprenticeships in delivering our Plan for Change.”
Reaction:
Susan Martindale, group HR director at Mitchells & Butlers:
“We are incredibly honoured to be recognised as the UK’s number one apprenticeship employer for 2025.
“At Mitchells & Butlers, our apprentices aren’t just part of our business – they are the future of our business.
“Through our apprenticeship programmes, we’ve created pathways for people to earn while they learn, gaining valuable skills and confidence that benefit them throughout their hospitality careers.
“Our commitment to developing talent at all levels has created a thriving culture where skills and potential can flourish. This recognition reflects the dedication of our entire team in creating meaningful career opportunities across our brands.”
Chris Craggs, founder at MCFT:
“Being named the number one SME employer of apprentices is a tremendous honour and reflects our commitment to tackling the current and future skills shortage in commercial catering and refrigeration engineering.
“Being an employer-provider was the only clear path to solving the issues, ensuring we were providing the best place where people wanted to come and learn, giving them hands-on skills and experience to be the best in the industry, and the chance to earn-and-learn, leading to a long-term career.
“We’ve invested heavily in a national state of the art training facility, quality and compliance staff, and a team of in-house technical trainers who we support in developing as educators.
“Our apprentices—whether field-based or office-based—gain real-world, hands-on experience from day one. We’re committed to building a diverse workforce, with local teams serving local customers and targeted initiatives to increase the number of female technicians.
“This recognition reinforces our belief in investing in long-term talent, not just meeting the needs of today. We couldn’t be prouder of all our apprentices and the positive impact they continue to make.”
Richard Hamer, HR director, education and skills at BAE Systems:
“We’re delighted to be ranked second in the Top 100. Apprenticeships are critical to the future skills needs of BAE Systems.
“We are proud to have a record 4,600 apprentices currently in learning with us providing a diverse pipeline of talented young people underpinning our future success.
“Our STEM skill requirements range from welding and pipefitting at the advanced apprenticeship level to software, cyber and nuclear engineering at the degree apprenticeship level.
“These apprenticeships create pathways to highly valuable life-long careers for young people from all backgrounds whilst supporting economic growth across the UK.”
