Firebrand Apprenticeships welcomes new Managing Director
Firebrand Training welcome the new Managing Director of its Apprenticeships division, Ben Hansford.
Ben Hansford has joined Firebrand Training as Managing Director of its Apprenticeships division.
Ben spent seven years at the Education and Skills Funding Agency, where he managed the apprenticeship accounts of more than 60 large employers. He led the development of PeoplePlus UK’s skills offer, overseeing the merger of three national training providers to create a single entity, before moving into consultancy, where he has worked with a range of national employers and training providers to help them deliver successful business changes.
Firebrand, a specialist IT and digital training provider, has experienced rapid growth in its apprenticeships business over the past 18 months. As one of the earliest adopters of apprenticeship standards, Firebrand has created robust and successful programmes, incorporating the professional accelerated training which has made it the largest provider of its kind in Europe.
Firebrand now delivers digital apprenticeships for more than 250 employers and has doubled the size of its apprenticeship body in just 12 months. Ben will be leading the next stage of Firebrand’s growth as it continues to expand and gain contracts from more large employers.
Stefano Capaldo, Firebrand’s Group Managing Director, said ‘The bulk of our learning (in the apprenticeships sphere) has been done ‘on the job’. While we have created a strong and competent foundation for growth, we cannot underestimate the expertise required to achieve our aim of becoming the largest specialist digital apprenticeship provider in the UK.
‘I worked with Ben a few years ago on brokering a partnership, and quickly realised that he would be a great addition to Firebrand’s executive team when the time was right for the business. Ben is ideally suited both to grow our apprenticeship business and advise on larger training opportunities across our commercial training division.’
For more information on Firebrand’s apprenticeship programmes, please contact apprentice@firebrandtraining.co.uk