Allestree Hays Travel apprentice wins regional award

Hays Travel apprentice Emmie Insull has won an award in the regional final of the National Apprenticeship and Skills Awards.

Insull, 18, received the Advanced Apprentice of the Year at the East Midlands regional final of the awards at a ceremony in The City Rooms in Leicester on October 9.

She will join other regional winners at a national ceremony at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on November 27.

Insull joined Hays Travel’s apprenticeship scheme in summer 2022 and finished her training in April this year.

She said: “When they said my name, I couldn’t stop smiling. I can’t thank everyone who has helped me through the process enough – my family and everyone at Hays Travel who has supported me.

“It made me think of how far I’ve come during my apprenticeship and how much I would encourage people to embark on an apprenticeship with Hays Travel.”

Hays Travel retail and training director, Jane Schumm, said: “We are all so proud of Emmie for winning this award. She has grown so much since starting her apprenticeship with us.

“Not only has she excelled in her apprenticeship work and become an integral member of her team in Allestree, but she has also pushed herself out of her comfort zone to appear in our apprenticeship recruitment campaign and attend careers events speaking to potential new apprentices and their parents and carers.

“Emmie’s enthusiasm and confidence has shone through in these roles and she makes a wonderful role model for new apprentices. I can’t wait to see Emmie blossom even more during her career with Hays Travel.

Each year Hays Travel recruits apprentices into each of its 490 branches across the UK and every head office department in Sunderland.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Radio 4 programme earlier in the year, Hays Travel owner Dame Irene Hays confirmed last year the company took on 546 apprentices, and 400 this year.