07/10/2026
Still on a bit of a high from this one
Last week, we were awarded Highly Commended at the Regional Apprenticeship & Skills Awards 2026.
When we arrived, we genuinely didn’t have many expectations. We were already incredibly proud just to have been named as a finalist especially when we looked around the room and saw organisations such as Amazon, the British Army, HMRC and Sunderland City Council amongst the finalists.
We joked that we probably had fewer staff than some of them had apprentices!
So, as a small South Tyneside business, to stand alongside organisations of that size and then have the work we do recognised with Highly Commended was a really special moment for all of us.
Apprenticeships have been a huge part of KP Simpson for many years. Some of our team started their careers with us as apprentices and have gone on to become experienced accountants, managers and key members of the firm.. and now we get to watch the next generation begin that same journey.
For us, it has never just been about giving someone their first job.
An apprenticeship at KP Simpson isn’t about someone joining us for a year or two and then moving on. It’s about building a career.
It’s about giving a young person in South Tyneside an opportunity to build their confidence, develop their skills, discover what they’re good at and, most importantly, giving them the support and belief to build a career they can genuinely be proud of.
Watching someone walk through our doors at the very beginning of their working life and seeing how much they grow, both professionally and personally, is something we’ll never take for granted.
Apprenticeships really can change someone’s life. They give young people an opportunity to learn, make mistakes, grow in confidence and build a career they might never have imagined for themselves.
So to have what we do recognised at the Regional Apprenticeship & Skills Awards means more to us than just bringing home an award 💙
A huge thank you to Andy, Alex and Dawn for continuing to believe in young talent and giving people those opportunities, and to our entire team, past and present, who have helped make KP Simpson what it is today.
And especially, thank you to every apprentice who has trusted us to be part of the very beginning of their career.
We couldn’t be prouder.
Here’s to the next generation. 💙🏆
