Scottish cashmere brand given young people award

A Scottish business has been awarded Investor in Young People Good Practice Award – Gold accreditation.

Scottish cashmere brand Johnstons of Elgin has received the IIYP, the only people management standard that focuses on an employer’s recruitment and retention of young people.

Now IIYP accredited for the second time, this prestigious gold accreditation represents the brand’s true commitment to training, developing and employing young people.

In recent years, Johnstons of Elgin has heavily invested in establishing opportunities for young people at the organisation and this includes the launch of their Modern Apprenticeship programme. Already over 100 employees have successfully completed an apprenticeship, with more employees in training.

Simon Cotton, chief executive, said: ‘We are incredibly proud that Johnstons of Elgin has been awarded for its unwavering commitment to the training and employment of young people. Receiving this gold commendation demonstrates how important youth employment is to our business and we are thrilled that our efforts in this area have once again been recognised.’

Peter Russian, chief executive of Remarkable (the home for Investors in Young People), said: ‘This is a fantastic achievement for Johnstons of Elgin, and I and the whole team at Remarkable would like to wholeheartedly congratulate them. The Investors in Young People framework not only recognises and supports organisations in the employment of young people, but, marks them out as an employer of choice. I am delighted to see that Johnstons of Elgin has achieved the Gold level accreditation.

‘The benefits of recruiting and developing young people are countless. These include the creation of a talent pool for the future, new and increased skills in areas such as IT and social media, fresh eyes and mind-sets into business operations along with enthusiasm and unique talents.’

The 220-year-old cashmere and tweed specialist, noted for their strong focus on creating employment and training opportunities, received the award this June on behalf of its teams of employees which now totals more than 1000 and commends the company’s fundamental purpose of striving to nurture enthusiasm in young staff and redefining mastery.

Johnstons of Elgin becomes the first cashmere brand in Scotland, the first organisation in Moray, where it employs around 700 employees, and, the first organisation in Hawick, where it employs around 280 employees, to achieve the Investors in Young People Gold Accreditation.