Association of Employment and Learning Providers

Martin Dunford OBE (Chairman)

Title
Chief Executive Skills Training UK and Chairman of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP)
Job role
Skills Training UK is an ERSS Framework Provider to DWP and a Prime Contractor for the ESF Programme for Troubled Families and previously a Prime contractor for both New Deal and Flexible New Deal (FND), and where working in close partnership with employers, is at the heart of its operation and the reason for its success. The employer relationships developed over many years in delivering DWP prime contracts has led to significant Apprenticeship, Access to Apprenticeship, Single Unit and Foundation Learning delivery. A real example of an organisation that has joined up skills and employability/employment provision.

Previously Martin was the Chief Executive of the Training and Business Group (TBG) which during his time there, from small beginnings grew to become one of the largest organisations delivering both skills and employability provision in the UK.

After University Martin began his career in education, teaching science to overseas students in Oxford. He then moved into international sales and 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 is now in his eighth year as Chairman of The Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP), a period in which the organisation has grown considerably in size and influence. As Chairman, Martin meets frequently with government ministers, senior civil servants and funding agency CEO’s and senior managers.

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 2004 he was appointed to the Board of the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA), and later the Board of the Quality Improvement Agency (QIA), chairing its Finance Committee. Martin is a current member of the Apprenticeship Ambassadors’ Network (AAN) and the BIS Further Education and Skills Ministerial Advisory Panel. Martin was awarded an OBE in the 2010 New Year Honours List for services to skills training.
Contact details
Email: chair@aelp.org.uk