Caffyns has been named the South East Apprenticeship Employer of the Year 2012 in the large employer category.

The dealer group was recognised “following its commitment to apprentices for more than 150 years”.

By winning a regional award, Caffyns now holds a place in England’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list, produced by the National Apprenticeship Service in partnership with City & Guilds.

Sarah Caffyn, HR director at Caffyns, collected the award at a ceremony at the O2 in London and will now go on to compete in the national awards at the NEC in Birmingham on November 14.

Caffyn said: “Winning a South East Apprenticeship Award is fantastic recognition of our long standing commitment to nurturing bright and enthusiastic apprentices and guiding them to full-time employment within the Caffyns group.

“Apprentices play a hugely important role within Caffyns and I would like to dedicate this award to them.”

Currently, Caffyns employs 35 apprentices, making up almost 10% of the entire workforce.