Wales & West Utilities is celebrating after scooping two awards in the first Wales CIPD Awards.
The gas emergency and pipeline service, which keeps the gas flowing to heat homes and power businesses across Wales and the south west of England, won the Best In-House HR Team and Best Apprenticeship Scheme awards in a prestigious ceremony held at Cardiff’s City Hall.
The awards recognise the best in HR, employee engagement and people management from across Wales.
Wales & West Utilities People & Engagement team won the Best In-House Team award for its work to make sure the company’s people strategy meets the organisational requirements for today, while preparing for the future. Its win in the Best Apprenticeship Scheme category recognised the company’s coveted Apprenticeship Programme, which provides great opportunities for learners to progress into the company’s main operational work-streams, whilst mapping progression throughout the business. The programme develops competence for the long term, providing the necessary skills to operate the gas network long into the future.
Wales & West Utilities People & Engagement Director, Sarah Hopkins, commented on the win:
“We’re proud to win these prestigious awards – testament to our continued work on planning and delivering a people strategy that meets the needs of our business and of the communities we serve now, while helping us prepare to face the challenges of the future. As a company we put people – our customers and our colleagues - at the heart of everything we do, and it’s great to see this recognised.”
Lesley Richards, head of CIPD Wales, said:
“Wales & West Utilities supported these inaugural awards, winning two awards and being finalists in a further two. The judges were very impressed with the HR work being delivered within the business, noting especially that their apprenticeship programme was clearly and fully embedded in the business strategy and workforce planning agenda.
“The win for in-house team came because they stood out, working together as a team and across the organisation.”
Award judges included sector figures who have proven themselves as leaders in the spheres of business, public bodies and membership organisations, so the winners will know that they have truly impressed their peers.
Wales & West Utilities has recently been awarded Silver accreditation against the Investors in People Standard, demonstrating their commitment to high performance through good people management.
Wales & West Utilities, the gas emergency and pipeline service that serves Wales and the south west of England, puts customers at the heart of the business and is rated the top utility company in the UK for customer service. If anyone smells gas, thinks they have a gas leak, or suspects carbon monoxide poisoning, they should call us on 0800 111 999 and our engineers will be there to help, day or night.
The company also has a multi-million pound, 30-year gas pipe investment programme which began in 2002. Old metal pipes within 30 metres of buildings are being upgraded to new long-lasting plastic pipes with a lifespan of more than 80 years, to make sure homes and businesses continue to receive a safe and reliable gas supply now and in the future.