College recruits and promotes

Preston’s College has made two appointments in response to growing skills shortages and demand for upskilling from Lancashire employers.

Keith Middlebrough and Sarah Hall will take senior key account manager positions in the College’s ROI Solutions team. Launched in 2015, ROI Solutions provides Lancashire businesses with a positive ‘Return on Investment’ through bespoke training, Apprenticeships, CPD programmes, e-learning and higher education courses.

Keith has been at Preston’s College for eight years and has more than 20 years commercial experience. His promotion will see him engage with the county’s technical employers across sectors including construction, engineering and gas, to ensure they’ve access to the skills needed to succeed.

Sarah Hall will specialise in helping local health and social care employers overcome skills shortages and an ageing workforce that is creating an imminent shortfall in the number of workers. She has more than 20 years’ sales and management experience.

Both will also help businesses navigate the upcoming Apprenticeship Levy reforms and ensure clients utilise the funds available to develop their internal workforce.

Andrew Richardson, head of employer engagement & recruitment at Preston’s College, said: “Many of Lancashire’s key employment and economic sectors are suffering major shortfalls with construction and engineering needing 36,000 new workers a year to cover the deficit and two million additional staff required nationwide in health and social care by 2022. “Sarah and Keith have great commercial links across Lancashire and will work with employers to create long-term skills solutions that ensure staff meet current and future needs. Businesses are slowly starting to realise and address skills through Apprenticeships and training, but there’s still far more to be done.”