The Progress Group

The Progress Group welcomes new Financial Controller
Adult Education  ·  Innovative Alliance  ·  The Progress Group
Innovative Alliance appoint Simon Conington as Board Chair

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 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. They enlisted the help of Liverpool-based marketing agency, Jayne Moore Media who advertised 8 vacancies across the group with Job Centre Plus (JCP). Work coaches at the JCP then signposted learners onto industry-led training provided by one of The Progress Group’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 work in partnership with employers and the JCP to identify individuals who best meet the needs of employers. IA handles all the pre-employment training and helps prepare learners for their interview at the end of the course. Innovative Alliance CEO, 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.’’

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.

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.’

Innovative Alliance announce launch of Teaching Assistant Apprenticeships
Adult Education  ·  Apprenticeships  ·  Business Growth  ·  Innovative Alliance  ·  Skills agenda  ·  The Progress Group
Innovative Alliance announces launch of their Teaching Assistant Apprenticeships
The Progress Group welcomes new Financial Controller
Business Growth  ·  Employee appointment  ·  The Progress Group
The Progress Group appoint Charlotte Barton as Director of Transformation

Charlotte Barton_Director of Transformation_The Progress GroupNational education and training specialists, The Progress Group, have appointed Charlotte Barton as their new Director of Learning Transformation. The role will see Charlotte draw on her extensive expertise to drive forward quality standards across the Group.

Charlotte, who previously worked as a Safeguarding & Compliance Executive at Progress Schools – a subsidiary of The Progress Group, has an extensive background in education and training.

Charlotte’s entire working career has consisted of working with students who have significant barriers to education, having started her career in a SEMH Behavioural Unit, she then moved into Alternative Education. Holding a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership, Charlotte is well equipped with the knowledge and experience to thrive in her new position.

Charlotte’s new role will see her lead and drive forward the quality standards across The Progress Group. As Director of Learning Transformation, Charlotte will be responsible for improving outcomes and services offered through innovative teaching, training, and learning development.

Talking of her appointment, Charlotte said;

‘’I am thrilled to have been appointed Director of Learning Transformation for The Progress Group. The Group’s values, coupled with our collective impact that we have on learners are just two of the many reasons why I love being a part of the business. The opportunities we can offer to others are phenomenal, with ever-expanding, flexible training and education solutions to meet a variety of learner and industry needs.

‘’My priorities for my new role are to identify and implement ways to transform the education and training that we offer across all our subsidiaries, whilst ensuring our staff are empowered to provide high-quality teaching and learning.’’

The Progress Group is made up of six subsidiaries, providing training and education to individuals aged from 8 through to 60 across England.

Talking on Charlotte’s appointment, The Progress Group’s CEO, Jayne Worthington said;

‘’As a Group of training and education specialists, ensuring that we maintain high-quality standards across the business has always been a core priority.

“As we continue to expand and grow, we want to ensure that we do not compromise on the quality of education or training we provide. I am thrilled to welcome Charlotte from Progress Schools to the Senior Leadership Team of The Progress Group. Her extensive background in education and compliance makes her the perfect person to drive forward our vision for standards and quality, and she has already hit the ground running.”

The Progress Group pride itself on the quality of education and training they provide across all six of their subsidiaries Their industry-led approach allows them to have long lasting impacts on the lives of their learners by helping them get ready for the world of work or to progress up the career ladder. All subsidiaries who are eligible for Ofsted inspection are currently graded ‘Good.’

The Progress Group welcomes new Financial Controller
Business Growth  ·  The Progress Group
The Progress Groups appoints Rosemary Abiodun as new group Human Resources Director

The Progress Groups appoints Rosemary Abiodun as new group Human Resources Director National education and training specialists, The Progress Group, have appointed Rosemary Abiodun as their new HR Director. The role will see Rosemary lead on the strategic development for HR and Recruitment across the group.

Rosemary, who previously worked as a HR Executive in Progress Schools – a subsidiary of The Progress Group, has an extensive background in HR, Rosemary has worked across social integration, sales and recruitment, tech, and private medical industries.

At University, Rosemary studied Law as an undergraduate where her interest in Employment Law was sparked. She began working in the HR industry whilst also working towards obtaining her master’s in Human Resources Management, and associate Level 7 CIPD.

Rosemary’s new role will see her work as part of the Senior Leadership Team in The Progress Group, leading on the organisational development of the business.

Talking of her appointment, Rosemary said;

‘’Our employees are at the heart of our operations, delivering on our values and mission in the communities we work in. Through fostering a positive and high-performance working culture, we can support them to continue on delivering on our promise to drive forward social mobility. By continually improving our organisational and workforce development we can nurture our current employees whilst attracting skilled professionals into the business. The education and training workforce is under more pressure than ever as it works to support the economic recovery. It is important now, more than ever, that we create a rewarding and cultivating workplace that supports them.’’

The Progress Group has six subsidiaries, providing training and education to individuals from age 8 through to 60. As a collective Group, they currently employ 165 people.

Talking of Rosemary’s appointment, Group CEO, Jayne Worthington said;

‘’As we look towards the future strategic development of the Group, it was only fitting that we sought an expert to ensure our workforce is supported and equipped to deliver on our mission. A passionate and motivated workforce will be a key driving factor to the Group’s ability to deliver on our promise to change lives through the power of education and training.

The past twelve months have been difficult for everyone, but we want to ensure that we create a positive working culture that our employees and stakeholders can be proud of. Rosemary’s appointment will strengthen our ability to foster a high-performance workplace that supports employees and helps us meet the social and economic demands.’’

How training providers will play a key role in the success of the UKs economic recovery plans
Skills agenda  ·  The Progress Group  ·  Thought Leadership
How training providers will play a key role in the success of the UKs economic recovery plans

Author: Jayne Worthington, The Progress Group CEO

As we move forward into Spring with hopes of COVID-19 restrictions easing, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak has outlined the Government’s plans to rebuild the economy. He announced the extension of several support schemes including the Furlough scheme. The budget signals the Government’s commitment to placing the UK at center stage for development in the coming years.

Through the investment-led recovery plans, we will see the development of clean energy infrastructure, the creation of eight Freeports across England, and additional funding to 45 towns across England. But with a surge in demand for skilled workers on the horizon, how can we support the Government’s plan, ensuring they are met with a readied and skilled workforce.

As part of the ‘levelling-up’ agenda, which was first announced in December 2020, The UK Infrastructure Bank which is due to come into operation in Spring, aims to support at least £40bn of both private and public sector infrastructure projects. The bank will be a key driving force in delivering on the ‘Green Building Revolution’, with its primary focus on the economic infrastructure sectors, such as clean energy. The large investment will support in the development of wind farms, creating thousands of jobs and attracting a skilled and robust renewables workforce to UK shores. Although the investment gives a beacon of hope for many in the sector, it is essential that moving forwards the Government sets out further measures to mobilise significant levels of private capital into projects that both create jobs and support the Green Revolution ambitions.

The announcement also outlined the creation of eight Freeport sites across England, with one located here in the Liverpool City Region. With future opportunities in offshore wind, tidal power, and hydrogen, the Freeport will bring the City Region to the forefront of the Government’s Net Zero ambitions. The success of such projects relies on renewables training providers, such as Complete Training Solutions (CTS), to ready the future workforce. As one of the largest training providers in the UK to offer the GWO Basic Safety Training Package, CTS will prove an integral part of the Government’s efforts.

Annually, CTS deliver 14,500 GWO training courses, equipping delegates with the skills and knowledge to kick start their careers in the renewables sector. Their capacity to deliver large volumes of training, along with the high-quality courses on offer, in my opinion will make them a clear driving force in training and readying the future renewables workforce.

The Chancellor also announced additional funding into 45 towns across England, supporting their long-term economic and social regeneration, as well as their immediate recovery from the impacts of COVID-19. On the list of towns to receive support was Southport, where Innovative Alliance (IA) currently operate, delivering a number of fully funded courses that help adults get back to work. IA recently worked in partnership with DWP in Southport to deliver the Job Accelerated Club Project, where 60% of learners secured positive outcomes. The additional funding will go a long way in helping IA continue to support people in Southport, who have found themselves in unemployment.

As CEO of a group of training and education providers, covering the construction, renewables, education, and adult learning sectors. I am pleased with the support outlined by the Government and believe our group of specialist training providers will play a vital role in the economic recovery plans. The plans signal the first steps for rebuilding, but we must ensure we do not take our foot of the gas now. Ensuring the job market is met with a skilled and readied workforce must remain a top priority as we move into a post-COVID-19 era.

The Progress Group acquires multiple award-winning learntech provider, Grey Matter Learning
Business Growth  ·  eLearning  ·  Grey Matter Learning  ·  The Progress Group
The Progress Group acquires multiple award-winning learntech provider, Grey Matter Learning

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 heart-warming 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 and provides class-leading social care eLearning, the Care Certificate and Skills for Care mandatory training courses. They work with multiple local authorities, many of whom have been customers 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.

Bridging the skills gap amid a global pandemic
Adult Education  ·  Business Growth  ·  Skills agenda  ·  The Progress Group
Bridging the skills gap amid a global pandemic

With unemployment rates in the UK soaring, and the global pandemic having exposed some of the fundamental inequalities in our society, it’s no surprise that the Government has placed so much emphasis on the skills agenda in order to help rebuild our country and economy. But the question for so many is will this come quickly enough to support businesses with the skills divide that they are facing in their organisation right now?

A recent article by McKinsey states that 87% of companies said that they have skill gaps, or expect to within a few years. In the same article, 53% of executives stated that they believed that re-skilling existing employees is the best way to close these gaps [1]. But as we see light at the end of this dark tunnel with the hope of vaccinations for all by Autumn, what can businesses do to survive in the short-term, whilst planning to thrive in the long?

Like many, I welcomed the Government’s announcement last Autumn which placed skills at the heart of the COVID-19 recovery plan [2]. £2.5 billion has been pledged through the National Skills Fund to help get people working again after COVID, as well as helping those already employed to up-skill or re-train. With this also came a commitment to invest £8 million for digital skills boot camps and a plan to expand these into areas such as construction and engineering from next year. All of this sounds very positive indeed, but does it go far enough?

As an employer who, across our organisation, employs around 120 people, we have had many conversations around the skills requirements of our business both today and in the future. There’s no denying that for an employer, this is a challenge. As reported by McKinsey, retraining is our first choice, but this cannot always happen at the pace that is required by a business. Like so many other businesses out there, our Group evolved our digital capabilities within a matter of weeks during the first lockdown last year; but we know that there is much more to be done in this area.

And in all this, we cannot forget that our national skills gaps go way beyond digital technologies. We have heard about the shortages in the public sector, struggles with attracting young talent into health and social care, and the boom in green energy initiatives to help meet the Governments Net Zero target. So, at a time of great challenge for many, I also see great opportunity, if we all plan now for the next normal.  

So, what is the solution that will enable us to achieve our plans? Long-term, perhaps it lies with the likes of T-Levels, which were launched last year as a next step after GCSEs. These offer a mixture of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience, with these qualifications having been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses to meet the demand of industry. But in the short-term, we need a solution that provides flexibility, agility, and sustainability for individuals and business. That’s where I believe that through further investment and flex in the Adult Education Budget, and greater development of initiatives such as Kickstart and apprenticeships, we can meet the short terms needs of industry and individuals. Whether it is re-skilling or up-skilling that’s needed by businesses, by creating flexible and accessible pathways into sustainable employment and training, will enable individuals and industry to meet the skills demands of today, whilst planning for the future.

The Progress Group welcomes new Financial Controller
Adult Education  ·  Business Growth  ·  Skills agenda  ·  The Progress Group
The Progress Group appoints Ian Green as MD of their Workforce Development Division

National education and training specialists, The Progress Group, have recently appointed Ian Green as Managing Director of their Workforce Development Division. A post that will see Ian lead on the strategic development of the Group’s adult skills agenda.

Ian, who has been CEO of adult education training provider Innovative Alliance since November 2018, was previously head of operations at a national training provider, delivering training and apprenticeships to schools throughout the UK. Prior to that Ian held senior leadership positions at large colleges within the North West.

His new role will see him work in the Senior Leadership Team of The Progress Group to drive the growth plans of the Group’s adult skills arm, which includes Innovative Alliance and Complete Training Solutions, a specialist health and safety training company for the renewable and construction industries.

Talking of his appointment, Ian said;

“The adult skills agenda will be key to helping our country to recover after the pandemic. We have already seen the Government pledge £2.5 billion through the Lifetime Skills Guarantee to help get people working again after COVID, and with the introduction of the Restart and Kickstart programmes, there will be a huge emphasis placed on up-skilling and re-skilling individuals to help get them back into employment. As an agile and flexible skills provider, we will be responding to the needs of the economy to drive our curriculum and support people back into sustainable employment.

The Progress Group delivers careers advice and guidance, education and training to individuals between the ages of 8 and 60 throughout England. In 2018-19, as a collective Group, they worked with over 15,000 individuals

Talking of Ian’s appointment, Group CEO Jayne Worthington said;

“As a Group we pride ourselves on our agile and flexible approach to education and training, and this is championed through our divisional make-up. Each division has its own core market in which they specialise in, allowing us to be at the forefront of industry and society trends, and adapt to meet the needs of these.

“Ian’s appointment is the latest strategic appointment that we have made, which will see our Group strengthen our position within the market and ultimately help us to achieve our mission statement which is to change lives through the power and education and training.

“We all know that times are tough for many, but even during tough times, it’s important to plan for the next stage and we know that education and skills will be key to this for our country. I am delighted to have Ian in this new role, as it will enable us to really lead on driving forward the skills agenda both in the North West and nationally.”

The Progress Group welcomes new Financial Controller
Adult Education  ·  Business Growth  ·  Skills agenda  ·  The Progress Group
The Progress Group welcomes new Financial Controller

Specialist education and training provider, The Progress Group, have recently welcomed Sam Toothill to their Senior Leadership Team. Sam takes up the role of Financial Controller within the Group, bringing with him a wealth of experience and from his previous role at Grant Thornton.

Sam, who had been with Grant Thornton since his placement year in 2012, studied Accounting & Finance at Leeds University before passing his Chartered Accountant exams in 2016. Since then he has worked with a range of clients across the hospitality, technology & education industries, including the likes of City of Liverpool College and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. In 2017, he achieved his ACA qualification, one of the most advanced learning and professional development programmes available for financial professionals.

More recently, Sam has had a split role at Grant Thornton, specialising in data analytics. This role saw him drive forward management reporting and business efficiencies using software such as PowerBI.

Sam joins The Progress Group at a time of growth after the Group secured investment from Bankers Life Insurance Company (BLIC) earlier in 2020. This investment has been a catalyst for growth, which has seen the Group acquire specialist Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance provider CareersInc. But the investment doesn’t stop there. Earlier this year, the Group also invested in a new Business Development Team, appointing Tom Whitlock to the role of Director of Business Development. Tom moved from Progress Schools to work for the Group after successfully securing numerous tenders with local authorities across the country. These successes have helped Progress Schools to expand to now have 11 alternative schools across England within the space of five years. Tom is now applying his vast knowledge of the education and training sector to the wider Group growth strategy.

Talking of his appointment Sam said;

“I instantly felt that The Progress Group was the right fit for me. Not only does this sector genuinely make a positive change to the lives of the individuals, but working for a business who is so committed to achieving their mission statement to change lives through the power and education and training was really inspirational.

“To join a business where I will have a real opportunity to shape its future success is a huge motivation for me, and I can’t wait to get stuck in!”

Jayne Worthington, Group CEO said;

“We are delighted to welcome Sam to the team. His extensive prior financial experience and specialism in data analytics makes him a great addition to the team. As we continue to drive forward our innovation and growth strategy, Sam’s expertise will be invaluable.”

The Progress Group is made up of five education and training providers who work with individuals aged from 11 -65. They operate nationally, often supporting some of the most vulnerable in society to positively engage in education and training, with the ultimate goal of helping them to achieve their potential.

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