Recognising the UK's leading apprenticeship employers in 2026

WATCH: The TV programme launching the new 2026 rankings is available on on YouTube

The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers celebrates the UK's outstanding apprenticeship employers – recognising their commitment to employing apprentices, creating new apprenticeships, the diversity of their apprentices, and the number of apprentices who successfully complete their apprenticeships.

Now in their sixth year, the prestigious annual rankings are researched & compiled by High Fliers Research, who independently assess and rank the country's top apprenticeship employers on behalf of The Sunday Times

The rankings are entirely data-driven and the entry process has been designed to be simple and straightforward for employers to complete – and all entrants receive full feedback on how their apprenticeship programmes compare with other employers in their industry or employment sector.

The 2026 rankings are sponsored by BPP and are produced in partnership with the Association of Apprentices, Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP), The Careers & Enterprise Company and The 5% Club.

The new rankings were launched on Thursday 11th June, during a specially-produced 90-minute TV programme and The Sunday Times published a 16-page Top 100 supplement on Sunday 14th June, bringing the UK's top apprenticeship employers to the widest-possible audience of employers, schools & college-leavers, careers advisers, parents, apprentices and employers.

This comprehensive editorial coverage is also available online, including a full guide to the Top 100 employers, a sixth-former's guide to apprenticeships, case studies of apprentices at Top 100 employers, and a guest column from Alan Milburn, who is leading the Government's review of youth unemployment.

The Times & Sunday Times are the UK's best-read newspapers for education and employment – and are home to the Good University Guide, Best Schools Guide, The Sunday Times Best Places to Work and The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers.

You can register now to hear when entries open for the 2027 edition of The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers later this year.