Association of Learning Providers

Martin Dunford (Chairman)

Title
Chairman
Biographical details
Martin is the CEO of Skills Training UK Ltd a major provider (18000 customers per year) of DWP programmes and where working in partnership with employers, from the largest to the smallest, is at the heart of its operation and the reason for its success. The employer responsiveness culture has allowed for easy extension into Train to Gain and other services to employers in both the private and public sector, particularly with Local Authorities.

Previously he was Chief Executive of The Training and Business Group (TBG) during which time the organisation grew to be one of the largest of its kind in the U.K. (with over 40,000) enrolments a year), delivering employer focussed LSC funded work based learning and other vocational learning, particularly in collaboration with FE Colleges, Learndirect and Job Centre Plus.

After University Martin began his career in education, teaching science to overseas students in Oxford. He then moved into international marketing, product and business development of high value, hi-tech scientific instrumentation; a demanding industrial market where competitive advantage is achieved via fast paced continuous improvement. Whilst working in this market he gained his MBA.

Martin is a founder member and Chairman of The Association of Learning Providers (ALP) and previously has chaired the National Providers Sector Group (NPSG). He was a member of the Steering Group of The End to End Review of Modern Apprenticeships and also a member of the advisory panel to Sir Andrew Foster (The Foster Review of FE). In May 2004 he was appointed to the Board of the LSDA and now sits on the Board of the Quality Improvement Agency (QIA) and is Chair of its Finance Committee. Martin is a current member of The Apprenticeship Ambassador's Network and the DIUS Ministerial Standing Group on Further Education.
Contact details
email: chair@learningproviders.org