Warwickshire News Mine

The annual Warwickshire Employer of Choice Awards 2007 is being launched at the Warwickshire Education Business Partnership Employers Conference on Wednesday, May 16, at the Trident Business Centre in Leamington Spa.

Application forms for the awards, now in its sixth year, will be available at the Conference. Previous award winners will also talk about the positive outcomes of flexible working and others employee benefits, which makes them employers of choice.

The deadline for applications to this year’s awards is the 14th September and the winners will be announced at an Oscars-style ceremony on the 5th December at the Weston Hall Hotel, Bulkington.

Merle Bayliss from Warwickshire County Council, who works with employers to develop work-life balance policies and who organises the Employer of Choice Awards, said: “Work-life balance practices are recognised in improving productivity and in-turn the competitiveness of Warwickshire businesses.

“Work-life balance is now a key component for running a successful business with benefits such as increased profit directly related to reduced recruitment costs.  The awards are a real success in highlighting organisations that have developed policies to support their staff and are now reaping the benefits”.

The awards reward all sizes of business in Warwickshire as part of the County Council’s initiative to raise the profile of Work-Life Balance policies - from small companies that employ less than 10 people up to corporate companies that employ thousands of employees.

The Employers Conference will welcome Corri van de Stege, (Head of skills for young people in the team working with Sir Digby Jones), to address the conference. 

Another main speaker will be local businessman, Bruce Draper of Sword Solutions Ltd, Britain’s Best Boss 2006.  He will be giving his personal experiences and will be speaking about employers working with educators to improve the employability of our young people.

As well as marking the launch of the 2007 Warwickshire Employer of Choice Award, Warwickshire Education Business Partnership will be presenting their awards that recognise the contributions made by Warwickshire employers to their work in 2006.

Businesses are invited to attend the free conference to find out more about both the awards and how work-life balance practices can improve business performance. To book a place please call 01926 418139, email ebpconference07@warwickshire.gov.uk or see the Warwickshire Education Business Partnership web pages at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/ebp

Link to WCC