MD of Pennine Telecom Group receives royal recognition
Andrew Roberts awarded by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
Andrew Roberts, the Managing Director of the Pennine Telecom Group has received a Highly Commended Certificate from City & Guilds’ President, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. He personally presented Andrew with his certificate at a special ceremony at the annual Prince Philip Medal ceremony at Buckingham Palace yesterday. Andrew then joined Prince Philip for a prestigious lunch at the Ritz.
Andrew was recognised for his outstanding contribution, commitment and dedication to the Telecommunications industry. After completing his City & Guilds certification in Radio and Television Servicing in 1976 at Bolton College, the college then arranged his first interview at Pennine Telecom Group. From repairing radios he worked his way up, ultimately leading a management buy-out to acquire the company in 2008. Now he leads a £8m turnover business employing over 60 staff which has expanded from its roots in two-way radio to offer extensive expertise in traditional and internet telephony, wireless communications, data networks, mobiles and the fast-growing field of unified communications.
The Prince Philip Medal was first established in 1962 to honour those who have, in The Duke of Edinburgh’s own words, ‘travelled the City & Guilds path’ and made the most of their talents. Each year, Prince Philip chooses an overall winner and two people who are highly commended. In line with his 90th birthday in June this year, Prince Philip will step down as President – a post he has held for 59 years – and HRH The Princess Royal has accepted the invitation to become the new President. Going forward, she will continue the Prince Philip Medal programme.
Speaking about his success, Andrew said: “I am immensely proud to have been selected by His Royal Highness Prince Philip to receive this commendation. It’s very rewarding to receive personal recognition but more importantly awards of this nature highlight the contribution that vocational skills and qualifications bring to the UK economy. Pennine Telecom has always recognised the value of these types of skills and training, as my own career demonstrates, and it continues today in our current recruitment policy, apprenticeships and company wide training programmes. “
CEO and Director General of City & Guilds, Chris Jones said: ‘City & Guilds firmly believe in the importance of celebrating the achievements of both our current and past learners. It is an incredible honour to be highly commended for the Prince Philip Medals. Andrew should be really proud of what he’s accomplished and I hope he sees further success in the future’.
City & Guilds is the UK’s leading vocational education organisation, offering more than 500 qualifications across 28 industries.
For more information or images, please contact:
Christine Richardson, City & Guilds
T: 020 7294 8054
M: 07717 779781
E: christine.richardson@cityandguilds.com
- His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh announced he would be stepping down from his role as President in November 2010.
- Since he was appointed President in 1951, His Royal Highness has made an enormous contribution to City & Guilds. In 1961 he inaugurated a Commonwealth Technical Training Week; to mark the Charter Centenary in 2000 he chaired a special conference on skills; two years ago, he launched the City & Guilds Centre for Skills Development.
- City & Guilds (www.cityandguilds.com) is the UK’s leading vocational education organisation for work-related qualifications.
- Approximately 1.9 million people are currently working towards a City & Guilds qualification in the UK and Ireland.
- The City & Guilds Group operates from three major hubs: London (servicing Europe, the Caribbean and Americas), Johannesburg (servicing Africa), and Singapore (servicing Asia, Australia and New Zealand).
- The City & Guilds Group comprises the Institute of Leadership & Management (management and leadership qualifications), City & Guilds Land Based Services and the Centre for Skills Development (CSD works to improve the policy and practice of vocational education and training worldwide).
· Headquartered in Bury, Greater Manchester Pennine Telecom provides integrated solutions spanning telephone systems, ancillaries and carrier pre-selection services; two way radio systems; mobiles; wireless networks and data. These are backed by specialist consultancy and installation services and enable multiple-technology solutions to be conveniently and professionally delivered. Among pioneering solutions it has devised is first wireless broadband network operated by a school in England to give its students and those at its feeder primary schools free internet access at home.
