Progress Schools

James
Progress Schools
Progress Education Managing Director, James Madine, moves onto pastures new.

Group Announcement 

Progress Education Managing Director, James Madine, has decided to move onto pastures new in the coming weeks. Under his leadership, for the last six years, Progress Schools has gone from strength to strength, both in terms of growth and in terms of securing no fewer than ten Good Ofsted inspections in that time. For the last two years, Progress Careers has also gone from strength to strength despite the challenges faced during the pandemic. We will miss James and thank him enormously for his work and remain grateful that he won’t be leaving us totally – he will remain on the Progress Education Governance Boards to guide and support the business but from a different perspective.

Charlotte Barton, who has recently returned from maternity leave, will take up the role of Interim Managing Director of Progress Schools and has worked with James until his departure on 21st April to ensure a smooth transition. Paula Thompson will continue to head up Progress Careers and will report into Group CEO Jayne Worthington for the foreseeable future.

I am sure that you will all join The Group in wishing James the very best of luck in his new venture and will wish Charlotte the very best of luck in her new interim role.

The Progress Group (TPG), has announced The Standing Tall Foundation as its nominated charity of the year.
CareersInc  ·  Charitable Giving  ·  Complete Training Solutions  ·  Corporate Social Responsibility  ·  Giving back  ·  Grey Matter Learning  ·  Innovative Alliance  ·  Prepare to Achieve  ·  Progress Schools  ·  The Progress Group
The Progress Group names The Standing Tall Foundation as its charity of the year

Leading education and training specialists, The Progress Group (TPG), has announced The Standing Tall Foundation as its nominated charity of the year. The news will see the two organisations bring together their combined knowledge to work simultaneously to drive forward social mobility across the UK.

It is no surprise that the Foundation was named TPG’s charity of the year. Both organisations work to provide education, training and support to individuals of all ages, helping them to secure positive outcomes whilst having a long-term impact on their lives.

The Standing Tall Foundation was founded in 2020, with a clear aim of supporting the health and wellbeing of individuals of all ages and backgrounds by giving them to access things such as educational programmes, mental health services, and drug and alcohol abuse rehabilitation support. The Foundation also works closely with ex-military personnel, supporting them to reintegrate back in to communities after serving in the armed forces.

The partnership has already got off to a storming success, with Complete Training Solution’s recently offering a number of sponsored placements for ex-military on one of their newest courses, Basic Safety Training, helping them to re-skill in order to peruse an alternative career after leaving the military.

Speaking on the partnership, The Progress Group’s CEO, Jayne Worthington, said;

‘’I am thrilled that The Standing Tall Foundation was voted as our charity of the year! At The Progress Group, we are committed to delivering on our promise to drive forward social mobility and provide individuals with a high-quality training and education, a mission shared by the Foundation.’

‘’We are always looking for new ways to build strong partnerships in the communities where we operate, just like the Foundation. Our shared values and commitment to raising aspirations and helping individuals to overcome barriers will undoubtedly help us have a positive impact on the lives of countless individuals over the coming year and beyond.’

‘’I am looking forward to working closely with the Foundation in the coming months to see how we can support each other and achieve our mission together.’’

John Tabern, CEO of The Standing Tall Foundation said:

“To use, forging long-term relationships with organisations such as The Progress Group are priceless, as for us to be able to achieve our vision, we need to work collaboratively with like minded organisations to share best practice and help connect our users to the services and support the need, either directly via the Foundation or via third parties.

“That’s one reason why we are so excited to be name as The Progress Group’s charity of the year, as their approach to this partnership goes beyond fundraising or donations to also include opportunities to share knowledge, skills and connections, for the benefits of our users and you can’t put a price on that.”

The Progress Group is a group of specialist education and training providers, supporting individuals from the age of 11 to 65. Made up of two divisions, the Group subsidiaries serve a wealth of industries from Renewable Energy to Health and Social Care to Alternative Education. As a collective, the Group has supported thousands of individuals to access high-quality and effective education and training that has helped them progress into positive destinations.

Alternative Education  ·  Business Growth  ·  Progress Schools  ·  The Progress Group
Progress Schools opens doors to a brand-new school in Wolverhampton
Progress Schools opens in Gorton, Manchester
Alternative Education  ·  Business Growth  ·  Progress Schools  ·  The Progress Group
Progress Schools opens doors to brand new school in Gorton
The Progress Group helps 8 young people secure employment through Kickstart Scheme
Business Growth  ·  Complete Training Solutions  ·  Innovative Alliance  ·  Positive outcomes  ·  Progress Schools  ·  The Progress Group
The Progress Group helps 8 young people secure employment through Kickstart Scheme

The Progress Group has helped 8 young people secure employment across the Group through the Government’s Kickstart Scheme.

The scheme provides funding to employers to help create jobs for young people aged 16 – 24, who access Universal Credit, and are at risk of long-term unemployment.

Through a group-wide initiative, the education and training specialists set a goal of helping young people access employment through the scheme. The Progress Group worked with Liverpool-based marketing agency, Jayne Moore Media, and Job Centre Plus (JCP) to identify potential candidates for the scheme.

Learners who were suitable for the scheme were then signposted onto the industry-led training provided by one of TPG’s subsidiaries, Innovative Alliance (IA).

Initially, learners attended an attraction day before completing a two-week customer service training course with one of IA’s expert trainers. During the second week of the industry-led training, learners were offered the opportunity to interview for one of the roles available across the Group.

Through industry-specific training, Innovative Alliance worked in partnership with employers and the JCP to identify individuals who best met the needs of the employers. IA handles all the pre-employment training and helps prepare learners for their interviews at the end of the course. Managing Director for Innovative Alliance, Ian Green said;

‘’Our industry-led training programmes allow us to provide effective recruitment solutions for employers, ensuring individuals support the needs of the business. In this case, we acted as the employer and the training provider, which helped us to ensure the training provided to individuals placed them in the best possible position to secure employment.’’

“I am delighted to welcome on board three new starters for Innovative Alliance, and one for Complete Training Solutions, along with the additional candidates across the Group. I look forward to seeing what they can achieve during their time with us.’’

Following on from the success of the initiative, The Progress Group has applied for a further three kickstart positions to work across the Group. CEO of The Progress Group, Jayne Worthington said;

‘’I am thrilled with the success of the initiative to date and am delighted to welcome eight new additions to The Progress Group family.’’

‘’The Kickstart Scheme is the perfect opportunity for us as employers to help support young people in accessing quality employment opportunities during this difficult time. The scheme epitomises what we are all about, which is to change lives through the power of education and training.’’

Matthew Rimmer was one of the individuals who joined Complete Training Solutions as part of the kickstart scheme. Matthew said;

‘’After losing my job due to the pandemic, I returned to Liverpool seeking another job. I was first made aware of the role from my work coach at the Job Centre Plus who advised me I met the criteria to be considered for the scheme.’’

‘’The role was the perfect opportunity for me. The working atmosphere is great and full of friendly and helpful people. I am enjoying my role and have recently been promoted to Business Manager. I love that there is a strong collaboration between all The Progress Group’s subsidiaries, it feels like one big family.’’

All eight individuals who secured employment as part of the scheme have already begun working across the Group. Roles include a Junior Data Analyst, Call Centre Advisers, Junior Graphic Designer, and Administrative Assistants.on are currently graded ‘Good.’

Gorton MP Afzal Khan cuts the ribbon at new Progress School opening event
Alternative Education  ·  Business Growth  ·  Progress Schools
Gorton MP Afzal Khan cuts the ribbon at new Progress School opening event

National education and training specialists, The Progress Group, have recently acquired the multiple award-winning learntech provider, Grey Matter Learning. The provider, who is dedicated to the health and social care industry, is a leading eLearning provider, having recently been named “2021’s Most Outstanding eLearning Provider of the Year for Social Care Services in the United Kingdom” by CEO Monthly Magazine and “Leading Provider of Social Care eLearning 2020” by the Southern Enterprise Awards.

Grey Matter Learning is the latest addition to The Progress Group, which already includes five education and training providers. Collectively, the group works with individuals aged 8 – 60 across their national alternative education provision, careers education, advice and guidance, and adult skills training. Their skills training spans several sectors including renewable energy, construction, health, and social care, and warehousing and storage.

The addition of Grey Matter Learning will not only further enhance the existing delivery of the Group, but also help to further drive the company’s digital learning capabilities.

Talking of the acquisition, Group CEO Jayne Worthington said;

“We are delighted to welcome Grey Matter Learning and its team to The Progress Group. Grey Matter Learning is very well established as a provider of eLearning across the UK, and I am really looking forward to not only growing this business nationally, but also deploying some of its best practice and eLearning expertise across our Group. This will significantly enhance our existing eLearning provision, ultimately helping us to help more people.

“Similar to us, Grey Matter has a mission to improve lives through learning, and place people at the heart of their provision. This ethos and approach were the perfect fit for our Group, which has a clear purpose, to change lives through the power of education. When we first met the team at Grey Matter Learning, I instantly knew that they would be a brilliant fit for our Group, and that they would really bring another element of expertise to our existing provision.”

Sarah Knapp, Grey Matter Learning Managing Director and founder said;

“Everyone at Grey Matter Learning is hugely excited by the opportunities that working with The Progress Group will bring for the team, our clients and partners. Whilst we remain firmly committed to the social care sector, we have already been working on successful projects in other sectors. From an L&D background, it has always been my passion to create interesting and fun eLearning that holds the attention of the learner whilst inspiring desired results. It can be pretty challenging when dealing with such difficult subjects, particularly during such tough times.

Since launching our upgraded system, Click, a year ago, we have had incredible feedback and won 2 major awards. People simply love our content. I often wonder how many eLearning providers can confidently say that their learners are excited by the courses and are having fun competing with colleagues because they are enjoying their learning experiences. Just this week one of our local authority L&D Managers said: “The Click content was so rich and engaging that I changed my work plans in order to complete the course”. It is so heartwarming to know we are making a difference and I believe this new partnership can only bring greater innovation and more lives improved through learning.”

Grey Matter Learning, which was formed in 2006, works with multiple local authorities, many of whom for 14 years as well as social care providers. This includes AgeUK, Dimensions, Autism Together, Bluebird Care, Mencap, Camphill Village Trust, Milestones Trust, and the Guinness Partnership. Their eLearning platform, Click, has been shown to significantly boost a company’s productivity, providing £30 worth of increased productivity for every £1 invested in online training. It’s this impressive impact which has seen the company flourish over the last 14 years.

To find out more about The Progress Group, visit their website.

Online Learning via Grey Matter Learning Saves Manager's Time
Alternative Education  ·  Business Growth  ·  Progress Schools
Online Learning via Grey Matter Learning Saves Manager’s Time

National education and training specialists, The Progress Group, have recently acquired the multiple award-winning learntech provider, Grey Matter Learning. The provider, who is dedicated to the health and social care industry, is a leading eLearning provider, having recently been named “2021’s Most Outstanding eLearning Provider of the Year for Social Care Services in the United Kingdom” by CEO Monthly Magazine and “Leading Provider of Social Care eLearning 2020” by the Southern Enterprise Awards.

Grey Matter Learning is the latest addition to The Progress Group, which already includes five education and training providers. Collectively, the group works with individuals aged 8 – 60 across their national alternative education provision, careers education, advice and guidance, and adult skills training. Their skills training spans several sectors including renewable energy, construction, health, and social care, and warehousing and storage.

The addition of Grey Matter Learning will not only further enhance the existing delivery of the Group, but also help to further drive the company’s digital learning capabilities.

Talking of the acquisition, Group CEO Jayne Worthington said;

“We are delighted to welcome Grey Matter Learning and its team to The Progress Group. Grey Matter Learning is very well established as a provider of eLearning across the UK, and I am really looking forward to not only growing this business nationally, but also deploying some of its best practice and eLearning expertise across our Group. This will significantly enhance our existing eLearning provision, ultimately helping us to help more people.

“Similar to us, Grey Matter has a mission to improve lives through learning, and place people at the heart of their provision. This ethos and approach were the perfect fit for our Group, which has a clear purpose, to change lives through the power of education. When we first met the team at Grey Matter Learning, I instantly knew that they would be a brilliant fit for our Group, and that they would really bring another element of expertise to our existing provision.”

Sarah Knapp, Grey Matter Learning Managing Director and founder said;

“Everyone at Grey Matter Learning is hugely excited by the opportunities that working with The Progress Group will bring for the team, our clients and partners. Whilst we remain firmly committed to the social care sector, we have already been working on successful projects in other sectors. From an L&D background, it has always been my passion to create interesting and fun eLearning that holds the attention of the learner whilst inspiring desired results. It can be pretty challenging when dealing with such difficult subjects, particularly during such tough times.

Since launching our upgraded system, Click, a year ago, we have had incredible feedback and won 2 major awards. People simply love our content. I often wonder how many eLearning providers can confidently say that their learners are excited by the courses and are having fun competing with colleagues because they are enjoying their learning experiences. Just this week one of our local authority L&D Managers said: “The Click content was so rich and engaging that I changed my work plans in order to complete the course”. It is so heartwarming to know we are making a difference and I believe this new partnership can only bring greater innovation and more lives improved through learning.”

Grey Matter Learning, which was formed in 2006, works with multiple local authorities, many of whom for 14 years as well as social care providers. This includes AgeUK, Dimensions, Autism Together, Bluebird Care, Mencap, Camphill Village Trust, Milestones Trust, and the Guinness Partnership. Their eLearning platform, Click, has been shown to significantly boost a company’s productivity, providing £30 worth of increased productivity for every £1 invested in online training. It’s this impressive impact which has seen the company flourish over the last 14 years.

To find out more about The Progress Group, visit their website.

Ensuring the continued education and development of our youth amidst a global pandemic
Alternative Education  ·  Progress Schools  ·  Thought Leadership
Ensuring the continued education and development of our youth amidst a global pandemic

National education and training specialists, The Progress Group, have recently acquired the multiple award-winning learntech provider, Grey Matter Learning. The provider, who is dedicated to the health and social care industry, is a leading eLearning provider, having recently been named “2021’s Most Outstanding eLearning Provider of the Year for Social Care Services in the United Kingdom” by CEO Monthly Magazine and “Leading Provider of Social Care eLearning 2020” by the Southern Enterprise Awards.

Grey Matter Learning is the latest addition to The Progress Group, which already includes five education and training providers. Collectively, the group works with individuals aged 8 – 60 across their national alternative education provision, careers education, advice and guidance, and adult skills training. Their skills training spans several sectors including renewable energy, construction, health, and social care, and warehousing and storage.

The addition of Grey Matter Learning will not only further enhance the existing delivery of the Group, but also help to further drive the company’s digital learning capabilities.

Talking of the acquisition, Group CEO Jayne Worthington said;

“We are delighted to welcome Grey Matter Learning and its team to The Progress Group. Grey Matter Learning is very well established as a provider of eLearning across the UK, and I am really looking forward to not only growing this business nationally, but also deploying some of its best practice and eLearning expertise across our Group. This will significantly enhance our existing eLearning provision, ultimately helping us to help more people.

“Similar to us, Grey Matter has a mission to improve lives through learning, and place people at the heart of their provision. This ethos and approach were the perfect fit for our Group, which has a clear purpose, to change lives through the power of education. When we first met the team at Grey Matter Learning, I instantly knew that they would be a brilliant fit for our Group, and that they would really bring another element of expertise to our existing provision.”

Sarah Knapp, Grey Matter Learning Managing Director and founder said;

“Everyone at Grey Matter Learning is hugely excited by the opportunities that working with The Progress Group will bring for the team, our clients and partners. Whilst we remain firmly committed to the social care sector, we have already been working on successful projects in other sectors. From an L&D background, it has always been my passion to create interesting and fun eLearning that holds the attention of the learner whilst inspiring desired results. It can be pretty challenging when dealing with such difficult subjects, particularly during such tough times.

Since launching our upgraded system, Click, a year ago, we have had incredible feedback and won 2 major awards. People simply love our content. I often wonder how many eLearning providers can confidently say that their learners are excited by the courses and are having fun competing with colleagues because they are enjoying their learning experiences. Just this week one of our local authority L&D Managers said: “The Click content was so rich and engaging that I changed my work plans in order to complete the course”. It is so heartwarming to know we are making a difference and I believe this new partnership can only bring greater innovation and more lives improved through learning.”

Grey Matter Learning, which was formed in 2006, works with multiple local authorities, many of whom for 14 years as well as social care providers. This includes AgeUK, Dimensions, Autism Together, Bluebird Care, Mencap, Camphill Village Trust, Milestones Trust, and the Guinness Partnership. Their eLearning platform, Click, has been shown to significantly boost a company’s productivity, providing £30 worth of increased productivity for every £1 invested in online training. It’s this impressive impact which has seen the company flourish over the last 14 years.

To find out more about The Progress Group, visit their website.

Progress Schools named Most Inspirational Alternative Provision by a School at Educate Awards
Award winning  ·  Awards  ·  Progress Schools
Progress Schools named Most Inspirational Alternative Provision by a School at Educate Awards

National education and training specialists, The Progress Group, have recently acquired the multiple award-winning learntech provider, Grey Matter Learning. The provider, who is dedicated to the health and social care industry, is a leading eLearning provider, having recently been named “2021’s Most Outstanding eLearning Provider of the Year for Social Care Services in the United Kingdom” by CEO Monthly Magazine and “Leading Provider of Social Care eLearning 2020” by the Southern Enterprise Awards.

Grey Matter Learning is the latest addition to The Progress Group, which already includes five education and training providers. Collectively, the group works with individuals aged 8 – 60 across their national alternative education provision, careers education, advice and guidance, and adult skills training. Their skills training spans several sectors including renewable energy, construction, health, and social care, and warehousing and storage.

The addition of Grey Matter Learning will not only further enhance the existing delivery of the Group, but also help to further drive the company’s digital learning capabilities.

Talking of the acquisition, Group CEO Jayne Worthington said;

“We are delighted to welcome Grey Matter Learning and its team to The Progress Group. Grey Matter Learning is very well established as a provider of eLearning across the UK, and I am really looking forward to not only growing this business nationally, but also deploying some of its best practice and eLearning expertise across our Group. This will significantly enhance our existing eLearning provision, ultimately helping us to help more people.

“Similar to us, Grey Matter has a mission to improve lives through learning, and place people at the heart of their provision. This ethos and approach were the perfect fit for our Group, which has a clear purpose, to change lives through the power of education. When we first met the team at Grey Matter Learning, I instantly knew that they would be a brilliant fit for our Group, and that they would really bring another element of expertise to our existing provision.”

Sarah Knapp, Grey Matter Learning Managing Director and founder said;

“Everyone at Grey Matter Learning is hugely excited by the opportunities that working with The Progress Group will bring for the team, our clients and partners. Whilst we remain firmly committed to the social care sector, we have already been working on successful projects in other sectors. From an L&D background, it has always been my passion to create interesting and fun eLearning that holds the attention of the learner whilst inspiring desired results. It can be pretty challenging when dealing with such difficult subjects, particularly during such tough times.

Since launching our upgraded system, Click, a year ago, we have had incredible feedback and won 2 major awards. People simply love our content. I often wonder how many eLearning providers can confidently say that their learners are excited by the courses and are having fun competing with colleagues because they are enjoying their learning experiences. Just this week one of our local authority L&D Managers said: “The Click content was so rich and engaging that I changed my work plans in order to complete the course”. It is so heartwarming to know we are making a difference and I believe this new partnership can only bring greater innovation and more lives improved through learning.”

Grey Matter Learning, which was formed in 2006, works with multiple local authorities, many of whom for 14 years as well as social care providers. This includes AgeUK, Dimensions, Autism Together, Bluebird Care, Mencap, Camphill Village Trust, Milestones Trust, and the Guinness Partnership. Their eLearning platform, Click, has been shown to significantly boost a company’s productivity, providing £30 worth of increased productivity for every £1 invested in online training. It’s this impressive impact which has seen the company flourish over the last 14 years.

To find out more about The Progress Group, visit their website.

Liam thrives at Progress Schools thanks to exceptional support system
Case study  ·  Independent Education  ·  Progress Schools
Liam thrives at Progress Schools thanks to exceptional support system
Page 1 of 2