Hays Travel has been recognised as one of the country’s top apprenticeship employers in a prestigious annual list compiled by the Department for Education.

The government’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers showcases the very best apprenticeship programmes over the past 12 months.

Headquartered in Sunderland and with branches across the UK, Hays Travel was the highest ranked travel and tourism business to feature, coming in at 39th in the list which also includes the likes of The Royal Airforce, McDonalds, the BBC, and John Lewis.

For 2025, the DoE teamed up with RateMyApprenticeship.co.uk – an organisation founded by students for students - to introduce a brand-new ranking criteria.

Genuine peer-to-peer reviews left by apprentices on RateMyApprenticeship.co.uk is one of the core criteria. Other factors include the number and diversity of apprentices, as well as how well they achieve.

Hays Travel Chief Operating Officer, Jonathon Woodall-Johnston, said: “As someone who started my career as a Hays Travel apprentice, I know how well our wonderful Learning and Development Team nurture and develop our apprentices, setting them up for an exciting and successful career with the company.

“I’m extremely proud of our inclusion in this prestigious list of the UK’s top apprenticeship employers.”

This summer Hays Travel’s newest cohort of over 400 apprentices will start across its nationwide retail network and at its head office in Sunderland.

Hays Travel is the UK’s largest independent travel agent, recognised in 2024 as the Best Agency to Work For at the industry’s Agent Achievement Awards. In 2022, it won the Investors in People Award for Learning and Development.

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. 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.”

The rankings attracted strong entries from across a wide range of industries including hospitality, retail, professional services, logistics, childcare and manufacturing across the private, public and charitable sectors.

For the full list of Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers visit https://www.top-apprenticeshipemployers.co.uk/2025-winners