Group’s training division expands

One of the UK's leading recruitment and training agencies Acorn, Concept's parent company, has made three new appointments to its Learning and Development Division.

Matthew Davies, Kosta Constantine and Natasha Thomson have joined as training advisors to help expand one of the fastest-growing areas of the business.

Matthew, 37, who lives in Newport, comes to Acorn after 12 years in insurance and training; Kosta, 34, from Radyr, Cardiff, has experience in sales and design as well as insurance; while Natasha, 36, from Newport, was previously training manager at the Boots Distribution Centre.

Two of the new appointments will help to satisfy an increasing demand for work-based learning in the financial sector, particularly insurance. But there is also a growing number of retail companies seeking bespoke work-based training programmes to ensure staff continue to learn and develop new skills, which Natasha will help to support with her experience from the retail sector.

Sarah John, Commercial Director of Acorn's Learning and Development Division, said: "We are the largest provider of work-based learning programmes in the financial services sector in Wales, and the only accredited provider with the Chartered Insurance Institute.

"From the new year we will also be expanding our financial services training to include banking apprenticeships."

Sarah added the appointment of Natasha, who has senior experience in retail training with one of the best known names in the high street, will provide invaluable support for the expansion of in-house client-specific and customised training programmes for a number of national retailers across Wales, including Admiral, Superdrug and DAS.

"The upskilling of individuals in the workplace is becoming more and more important to ensure they develop and rise up through the organisations they work for to allow room for the next generation of work starters to take their places," she said.

Acorn Group's Operations Director Andrew Tugwell said: "We are delighted to be making these new appointments at what is a crucial time for our business.

"Having witnessed unprecedented challenges across the UK in the last 12 months, there are now encouraging signs of a recovery and these appointments will ensure we continue to buck the trend in the training and recruitment sectors and provide increasing support to a growing number of organisations.

"The Learning and Development division of Acorn has proved to be one of the most successful sectors of our business and is continuing to grow as employers' training and learning needs become ever more important."

The Acorn Group places up to 6,000 people into about 850 different client companies each week, The company also delivers training to more than 3,000 individuals and makes 1,500 permanent placements every year.