Ian Williams, a UK wide privately-owned property services company, recently marked another milestone in its commitment to developing future talent at its annual Qualification Celebration Lunch (QCL).
Organised by the Ian Williams Academy, this year saw the celebration of 27 apprentices, 10 trainee surveyors and 2 staff achievers who have recently completed their apprenticeships and training programmes. It also recognised the invaluable contribution of their coaches and mentors and the academy staff. As well as a lunch with leaders in the organisation and the mentors and coaches who supported their journeys, everyone was treated to an afternoon at Drayton Manor Theme Park in Staffordshire.
The ceremony, which has become a cornerstone of Ian Williams’ calendar, also recognised excellence in mentorship with six individuals receiving Apprentice Mentor of the Year and Apprentice Site Coach of the Year awards across the company’s Painting, Planned Maintenance and Response divisions.
Craig Jones, Response Operations Director, who attended the event, commented: “The QCL is always a fantastic day for celebrating and rewarding the achievements of all the apprentices and trainees that we’re proud to say have started their career journey with Ian Williams.
“I have first-hand experience of the kind of opportunities Ian Williams offers in career development, having joined through the graduate management trainee programme in 2006 and worked my way up to Director. I was proud to be part of the celebration and to share my story, to inspire the company leaders of tomorrow. In fact, the room was full of remarkable individual stories from the apprentices who have won awards outside of Ian Williams, to mentors that have been rewarded with “lightbulb” and “proud dad” moments. We also heard how proud the achievers have been to be given “real responsibility and accountability” and “the best support” throughout their training, making them feel like they are really contributing.
“The QCL serves as a powerful reminder of Ian Williams’ commitment to addressing the construction industry’s skills gap while creating meaningful career pathways. With structured training plans, dedicated support from the Ian Williams Academy for both training and pastoral care, and clear progression routes, we continue to invest in our most valuable asset — our people. In fact, we are so proud that our scheme was recently recognised in the Sunday Times Top Apprenticeship Employers 2025.
“As a business, our target is that 10% of our workforce are apprentices. So far, we’ve exceeded that target, achieving 15%, and excitingly 20% of the recruitment intake from last year were female. This year we’re launching our Trainee Contracts Manager programme as well, opening even more pathways for career progression.
“As the achievers received their awards and shared their successes, the message was clear: at Ian Williams, apprenticeships aren’t just about learning a trade, they’re about building careers, developing leaders, and shaping the future of our business and the wider construction sector.”
Check out our video review of the day here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hdD2Xq1ldk
