TWO Southampton pub bosses made a trip to the House of Commons - after they graduated from a training course.

Jake Bradley, General Manager of Yates on Above Bar Street, and Elton Sadiku, General Manager of the Bedford Arms in Bedford Place, attended an event at the House of Commons on Wednesday, September 12.

The pair were congratulated by MPs for graduating from Stonegate Pub Company’s 'Bar to Boardroom' management training programme.

The duo were invited to the House of Commons to celebrate the 200th General Manager appointment from Stonegate's pool of home grown talent, having successfully completed the company’s award winning ‘Accelerator’ programme.

The guests were given a tour of the House of Commons before the main event, hosted by Luton MP Gavin Shuker.

Stonegate Chief Executive, Simon Longbottom, commented: "People are at the heart of what we do.

"We’re delighted to able to recognise the achievements of our incredibly hard-working Accelerators here at the House of Commons.

"The course is a shining example of how commitment in personal development can change people’s lives, as they fast become the company’s most promising managers and future industry leaders."

Now in its twentieth graduation cycle, the Accelerator programme has seen two hundred Deputy Managers progress to management positions since its launch in 2013.

The programme is part of the company's ‘Albert’s Theory of Progression’ suite of training programmes, designed to give employees the tools to bridge the gap between Deputy Manager and General Manager.

To mark the graduation milestone, MPs joined Stonegate’s Accelerators and senior executives to learn for themselves how the training programme leads staff from bar to boardroom.

The course aims to build the participant's confidence, encourage continued independent learning and help them to work together effectively as team.

It is made up by three workshops, including creating a winning mind, winning in communication and winning in business.