WorldSkills UK visit Firebrand Training! Watch the video

This spring, we were excited to welcome WorldSkills UK to visit our Centre of Excellence at Wyboston Lakes, Bedfordshire!

At Firebrand, we are proud to be the first Independent Training Provider (ITP) to benefit from the World Skills Developing Excellence programme and the only one specialised in Digital to do so. We are one of 11 leading institutions that receive exclusive training and 60 hours of intensive Continual Professional Development to help upskill the nation and reduce the IT skills gap.

All our Learning Mentors have received this training and we are now looking to extend it to other areas of the business. The Centre of Excellence is funded by the education charity and body, NCFE.

Being part of the Centre of Excellence has helped improve retention rates on our programmes and EPA results, with over 50% of our learners attaining Distinction in programmes such as Data Analyst and Software Developer.

Firebrand Director of Quality, Shaun Donaghy explains, “The demonstrable impact of the Centre of Excellence programme and in particular the Pressure Test Methodology on refining the art of teaching has been a real win for our Firebrand educators, our learners, and their employers. As a result, we continue to offer demanding and rewarding accelerated learning that prepares digital professionals for the challenges of operating in the IT sector.”

“The programme has taught us all how to reach for excellence all the time and not just settle for good with every learner. The main impact of this has been an improvement in both Retention Rates and Achievement Rates. Our Performance levels are improving year on year and, of those who go the distance and take their independent assessment, 98% of them will achieve and achieve well,” said our colleague Venessa Cox, Apprenticeships Learning Support and Welfare Manager.

CEO Ben Hansford added, “I'd encourage any institution working in the world of further education to take a serious look at WorldSkills UK support and resources and, most importantly, the benefits they bring learners.”

Here’s a snippet of what went on on the day.

Firebrand stands for excellent training

For the past twelve years in a row, we’ve been named one of the Top 20 IT Training Companies in the World. We offer accelerated courses, Skills Bootcamps, and Apprenticeships with key certifications in the tech space. Could they be right for you?