JTL is pleased to have welcomed Susan Acland-Hood, Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education, to its South Yorkshire Training Centre on Friday 17 January to see our new facilities, meet some electrical apprentices and our dedicated training team.
As Permanent Secretary, Susan Acland-Hood is the most senior civil servant in the Department; responsible for running the Department day-to-day, reporting to Parliament on budgetary spend and supporting Government Ministers. Susan’s remit covers the whole of the DfE, from early years through to further and higher education. As an Independent Training Provider delivering specialist apprenticeships, JTL plays a key role in creating opportunities for young people and those looking to upskill in their career.
Hosting the visit, JTL’s Chief Executive Chris Claydon and Deputy Delivery Director, Clair Bradley, showed Susan around the first-class facilities, including dedicated AM2 prep workshop, and had a productive conversation about current priorities and challenges as a not-for-profit training provider.
During her visit, Susan spoke with some first year apprentices about their experience so far as an aspiring electrician; why they chose the apprenticeship route and how their skills align with employment opportunities in the industry.
Chris Claydon, Chief Executive of JTL said:
“We were delighted to show the Permanent Secretary around the newest of our specialist training centres. Our apprentices spoke to her about their experience in taking their first steps in a career in the trades, and our delivery team demonstrated our first-class workshop where learners were preparing for their practical assessments.
“Sitting down with the Permanent Secretary to discuss our mutual priorities for skills policy development was extremely useful. We face a number of challenges including funding pressures and expanding our reach to meet industry demand. We are looking forward to further conversations with Susan and her teams and continuing to deliver for our apprentices.”
