Wales’ largest training provider ACT has marked its 35th year in business as it looks to a new chapter of expansion.
Established in Cardiff by husband-and-wife team Andrew and Caroline Cooksley in 1998, it delivered training to 200 unemployed adults in its first year of trading.
Since then it has gone on to help more than 75,000 learners achieve their career goals, working with more than 14,000 employers across Wales.
It has also launched its own independent schools for 11 to 16-year-olds, as well as delivering the Welsh Government’s Jobs Growth Wales + programme developed to provide young people with the skills needed to progress in their career.
The business was acquired by Cardiff and Vale College in 2016, but with the founders remaining in advisory roles.
ACT’s managing director, Richard Spear, said: “To be able to celebrate 35 years as a business in any field is a huge achievement, but for us it also means that, for more than three decades now, we have been able to improve lives through learning.
“While the way we deliver training, as well as the needs of our employers, may have changed since 1988, our mission to support learners in their educational, career and personal goals continues to be our focus – this has allowed us to navigate through recent times of uncertainty and development.”
Act trades as a separate subsidiary business of Cardiff and Vale College. The college’s chief executive Mike James said: “Many congratulations to ACT on the significant milestone. As a collaborative group we are continuing to increase opportunities for young people, and promoting learning to improve lives, throughout Wales. For ACT to be celebrating 35 years of providing these opportunities is an incredible achievement.”
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ACT’s operations director, Louise Williams, who joined the company in 1999, said: “At the time ACT was founded there was high unemployment in Wales with a severe lack of opportunities for unskilled adults and youths. ACT’s founders felt a real responsibility to do something about it and make a change.”
She added: “NEET (not in education, employment or training) numbers across Wales are increasing, along with challenges for young people including additional learning needs, mental health and a struggling labour market.
“Mainstream education isn’t a ‘one fits all’ so alternative provision needs to be available. The need to support adults in upskilling and changing their career has also increased now that people are working for longer.”
As well as providing training to adults, in 1993 ACT began delivering a youth training provision, something that has developed into a key offering for the business.
In 2006, ACT became the first work-based learning provider to achieve all grade one in an Estyn Inspection.
Delivery director, Zoe Goodall, said of: “The result helped us secure huge growth in our contracts almost doubling by 2010 – and deliver even more programmes to both young people and adults in Wales.
“This success then led to the acquisition by Cardiff and Vale College in 2016 which was hugely important in securing the future of ACT and ensuring we continue to support even more people in Wales to improve lives through learning.”
On the outlook for the business, she added: “We want to support even more people in Wales whether that be in their professional development, to progress in their careers or to ensure young people have the best possible opportunities to reach their full potential.”