The King’s Award-winning business celebrates 25 years of creating opportunity, supporting learners and driving business growth
Twenty-five years ago, HTP opened its doors on the Isle of Wight with a team of three staff and a handful of loyal clients. Today HTP Apprenticeship College is a nationally recognised training provider working with hundreds of employers across the South and beyond. It marks its silver jubilee year with one of the UK’s highest honours for business, the King’s Award for Enterprise 2025 (Promoting Opportunity).
Now employing more than 70 staff in offices in Newport and Portsmouth, HTP has a lot to celebrate.
“I started HTP because I wanted to make a difference,” says founder Rachael Randall. “I saw a gap in the market, for a really good apprenticeship provider, supporting young people initially, mainly in the service sector. Today we partner with businesses of all sizes and sectors to recruit, train and upskill staff. We work with national companies including The Dorchester Collection in London, National Air Traffic Services and Carnival in Southampton. We also work with a huge range of employers across the Isle of Wight and the south coast.”
HTP designs tailored programmes around real workforce needs. That employer-focus is visible in the breadth of businesses choosing to train with HTP. Organisations including Red Funnel, Wightlink, Vestas, The Needles Landmark Attraction, WightFibre, Isle of Wight Council, Liz Earle, A.J Wells, Sons, The Tomato Stall, The Garlic Farm and The Royal Hotel have all chosen HTP to deliver bespoke training. It’s a portfolio that spans advanced manufacturing, public services and healthcare. These collaborations aren’t just about qualifications; they’re about growing the next generation of employees while creating progression routes for people already in work.
“We support the person, helping them to remain in sustained employment,” Rachael explains. “Our Apprenticeship Coaches and Tutor Trainers will support you in many aspects of your life, not just academic. That ethos makes us different. We also have jobs at the heart of what we do. Supporting businesses to develop and create roles, upskilling staff and also providing opportunities for young people to build great careers.”
HTP’s apprenticeship catalogue is deliberately broad, reflecting the skills employers need. On the professional side, programmes range from Team Leader (Level 3) and Operations/Departmental Manager (Level 5) to People Professional (Level 5), Quality Practitioner (Level 4), Business Administrator (Level 3), Learning and Development Consultant/Business Partner (Level 5), Coaching Professional (Level 5), and Learning and Skills Assessor (Level 3).
HTP also specialises in sector programmes including Health &Social Care and Hospitality & Tourism. Crucially, apprenticeships are accessible. For most employers, at least 95% of the training costs are government-funded.
For school-leavers and career starters, HTP’s Riverbank Campus in Newport is the home of full-time study programmes, designed to build confidence, practical skill and a springboard into apprenticeships or employment. The line-up includes Health & Social Care, Professional Cookery, Sport & Fitness Instructing, Outdoor Sports, Football Coaching, Foundation Skills for Active Lifestyles, Childcare & Education, Nail Technology, and Horse Care & Riding. Students gain vocational qualifications alongside meaningful work experience and careers support from day one.
The programmes are job-focused and personal — small enough to know every learner, ambitious enough to equip them for real roles. For many young Islanders, it’s the bridge between school and their first step into paid work or an apprenticeship, with structured routes mapped for each course.
HTP’s silver anniversary year has been marked with a prestigious set of accolades. In 2024 Rachael Randall received the Outstanding Contribution honour at the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. In 2025 Ofsted praised the “high-quality work experience and exceptional, personalised careers advice” on offer to learners and apprentices, who “broaden their horizons and become increasingly ambitious about what they can achieve in life.” Rated Good by Ofsted, the college was graded as Outstanding in Personal Development and Behaviour and Attitudes.
In May 2025 HTP celebrated the most prestigious honour a business can receive, being named as the winner of a King’s Award for Enterprise. Presented in the Promoting Opportunity category, the royal recognition marks the success of the Careers for Young People (CfYP) programme and is shared with partner organisation Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Launched in 2022, CfYP offers 16–18-year-olds a direct route into a wide range of NHS and healthcare careers and has already been recognised with awards from the Nursing Times and the HSJ Partnership.
The CfYP gives 16–18-year-olds on the Island a guided route into roles across healthcare, learning in the workplace and on campus with HTP. It’s a shining example of how educators and employers can build pathways together. Recruitment is underway for the programme’s fifth cohort, and the scheme will also be rolled out in Portsmouth.
