Barlows UK Ltd
Barlows began in 1948 as a small electrical repair shop in the village of Malpas in Cheshire and have grown over the years to now have a head office in Malpas, Cheshire and three more offices in Manchester, High Wycombe and Lancaster, all offering a full range of property maintenance services. There are two high street appliance retail outlets in Whitchurch & Ellesmere. The company now has over 600 directly employed staff and a fleet of over 400 vehicles.
Years awarded: 2019, 2020, 2022, 2026
Region: North West England
Size: 250-999-employees
Sector: Construction and engineering
Improving driver safety through targeted training
Theme: Onboarding
Topics: Bespoke training; Health and safety
Barlows UK Ltd enhanced its New Driver Training programme to improve the safety and confidence of apprentices and new recruits driving company vans. Combining one-to-one driving lessons with AI-enabled in-cab coaching, the initiative has supported 200 employees. Since 2023, vehicle check completion rates have risen from 65% to 90%, while at-fault incidents, insurance claims and annual insurance premiums have all reduced substantially.
Creating a unified commercial mindset
Theme: Apprenticeships; Talent pipeline / Career pathways
Topics: In-house; Work experience, interns and graduates
This leading infrastructure group sought revalidation of a commercial training programme recognised in 2019. It has since introduced virtual delivery, professional champions, a commercial buddy scheme and a quantity surveyor apprenticeship. A further 2151 people have benefitted from the programme and savings of £6.4m have been made through applying course knowledge to live projects.
Keeping its young drivers safe
Theme: Apprenticeships; Culture
Topics: Health and safety
This electrical contractor identified that driving was as important as its electrical or gas work and created the Young Driver Training programme to keep its young drivers safe. The robust training has been embedded into its apprenticeship programme and uses technology to track its vehicles so that poor driving behaviours can be challenged. 24% of its employees have completed the training to-date.
Putting apprentices at the heart of the business
Theme: Apprenticeships; Talent pipeline / Career pathways
Topics: In-house
This electrical organisation puts training at the heart of its strategy with 95% of its staff having undertaken an Apprenticeship. The programme is embedded and integrated in the business and led passionately from the top-down with training meaning that work is done ‘the Barlows’ way.’ There is a 97% retention rate of employees and the business has grown solidly for the past 25 years, even during recession periods.
News and case studies featuring Barlows UK:
Meet the 2026 Princess Royal Training Award recipients: from stained glass restorers to prison mentors
Every year are genuinely moved by what we read in the Princess Royal Training Award applications. This year was no exception. Today, we're delighted to share that 56 training programmes have been recognised in the 2026 Princess Royal Training Awards, chosen from 132...
Celebrating 46 UK organisations who have outstanding workplace training programmes with HRH The Princess Royal
London, Thursday 8th December: On Tuesday 6th December, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, welcomed 46 organisations to Banqueting House in London to celebrate successfully achieving a Princess Royal Training Award for their commitment to training and development....
Outstanding workplace training programmes recognised in HRH The Princess Royal’s training awards
HRH The Princess Royal, President of City & Guilds, awards employers with outstanding training and skills development programmes which have been proven to have significant positive impact on their business or their staff More apprenticeship programmes have been...
Celebrating the Award class of 2020
On 15 December, we celebrated the innovative training and development successes of the 43 recipients who achieved a Princess Royal Training Award in 2020. By necessity the ceremony was a little different this year. Whilst it needed to take place virtually rather than...
39 UK businesses receive excellence in training Award commended by HRH The Princess Royal in 2020
HRH The Princess Royal, President of City & Guilds Group, recognises organisations whose training has delivered measurable business impact 39 businesses celebrated at virtual ceremony for their innovative training programmes in the Princess Royal Training...
Malpas’s Barlows left delighted as training arm receives prestigious award from Princess Royal
The training college of a popular Malpas business has been given a prestigious award for the second year running. Barlows and Clifford College based on the Hampton Heath Training Estate, have been awarded the Princess Royal Training Award for the second year in...
Oldham’s Barlows UK gets Royal seal of approval
Barlows and Clifford College based in Chadderton, Lancashire have been awarded the Princess Royal Training Award for the second year in succession. This prestigious award is presented at St. James’ Palace by HRH Princess Anne in her role as President of the City &...
UK businesses’ training is recognised by HRH The Princess Royal on her 70th birthday
HRH The Princess Royal, President of City & Guilds Group, recognises organisations whose training has delivered measurable business impact Businesses continue to deliver excellent training programmes in the Princess Royal Training Award’s fifth year, despite the...
IBM hosts ‘The Apprentice’-style competition for National Apprenticeship Week
About the event IBM Early Professional Leaders held a special workshop at City & Guilds Headquarters in London for National Apprenticeship Week. It was delivered by IBM apprentices and exclusively for apprentices of Princess Royal Training Award recipients. This...
In the press: Six construction firms receive Princess Royal Training Award
Bouygues, Balfour Beatty and Walker Construction are amongst the 44 UK organisations commended with a Princess Royal Training Award for their workplace training. Presented by HRH Princess Anne and delivered by the City and Guilds Group, the Princess Royal Training...