Mark Bremner is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of two highly successful independent training providers, including his most recent, MBKB. In October 2022, MBKB was rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted. Following their Ofsted rating, and with the training provider now well established, Bridgehead were retained by MBKB to establish their Chief Executive as a thought leader in the skills and training sector and to put forward his vision to policymakers and the wider industry for how apprenticeships could be reformed for the better, while also showcasing to MBKB's target sectors why it was the provider of choice.
We began by having an extended discovery meeting to fully understand Mark's vision for apprenticeship reform. His proposals covered a broad range of measures aimed at improving apprenticeship completion rates, how to deliver effective online learning, and why greater flexibility and enhanced standards for minimum duration time were important. The discussion also covered some of MBKB's most recent achievements.
Following the meeting, we monitored the sector and national news daily to identify regular news 'hooks' around which we could begin to frame MBKB's proposed reforms. Examples included the Labour leader's pledge that a future Labour government would ensure vocational training holds the same prestige as academic courses; the then Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman's comments at the AAC conference regarding online learning; and the Spring Budget (March 2024).
Using these 'hooks', we drafted a series of opinion pieces for placement in the sector press through which to frame Mark's proposed reforms.
We also organised a roundtable discussion hosted by Peter Aldous MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Further Education and Lifelong Learning. Chaired by Bridgehead's managing director, William Walter, the event offered a platform to promote MBKB's reforms to policymakers who have the ear of the Government and other sector leaders.
Our ongoing campaign is continuing to gain traction. To date, we have secured 14 pieces of coverage, including five opinion pieces in the industry's flagship industry title, FE Week, which collectively set out MBKB's proposals. We also dedicated an edition of our monthly in-house sector newsletter, The Mark (distributed to some 4,000 decision-makers within the industry), to highlight the proposed reforms. We have also placed articles with opinion platforms with a broader policy focus and a sizeable readership in Westminster, including CAPX (associated with the leading Westminster think tank, the Centre for Policy Studies). Using the online traffic calculator SEMRush, we estimate that the articles have been read by some 11,270 unique readers working either in Government or the training industry.
The roundtable was also a significant success. Titled 'How to Optimise Apprenticeships Amidst Widespread Degree Devaluation,' it was attended by senior representatives from some of the country's leading apprenticeship employers, including Mitie, GoAhead, McGinley, the British Transport Police, and County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service.
The discussion centred around MBKB's critical areas of reform and generated a broad consensus among the employers present. We then produced a report summarising the discussion for use in subsequent meetings and discussions regarding the need for reform.
