Who we are
The Apprenticeship Coach is an innovative consultancy for businesses and the training sector, offering impartial apprenticeship support to meet current and future needs across skills and talent.
We believe apprenticeships offer opportunities for all.
The Apprenticeship Coach supports partners to develop high quality, creative and innovative programmes, designed to meet the needs of organisations, enhancing performance and productivity.
Our ethos is to inspire apprentices throughout the apprenticeship journey to achieve their potential and becoming the best they can be.
With over 20 years’ experience in apprenticeships, L&D and OD, our team work with individuals and companies looking to grow and change. We are experts in analysing your workforce development requirements and co-create solutions that maximise your apprenticeship funding opportunities, enhancing employee experience and developing your workforce of the future.
Meet the Team: Claire Buckland
Claire partners with organisations offering specialist advice and guidance for maximising Apprenticeships including funding and the Levy to enable organisations to take a strategic approach to developing effective apprenticeship programmes. Focusing on investment and impact, employee engagement and learner experience balanced with effective leadership, governance and compliance whilst supporting the growth of talent in the organisation.
Claire has a background in work-based learning and specifically funding learning over a period of 20 years. Her specialist expertise in Apprenticeships has been acquired from: working in independent training providers, a learning and development consultancy, FE Colleges and Universities; delivering and assessing apprenticeships; managing quality assurance; creating innovative programmes; developing strategies; creating new standards on trailblazer groups; mapping existing learning and development content to apprenticeship standards; applying for funding and working in partnership with governing bodies, funding bodies, awarding organisations and other strategic partners.
Claire has introduced higher and degree apprenticeships through partnering with employers to build high quality, tailored programmes that offer best value for money and return on investment. Clients include retail, manufacturing, security, automotive, logistics, leisure and public sector organisations. She has become a go to person for guidance on the Apprenticeship Levy writing articles in HR Director magazine, Professional Manager Magazine; BBC interview for Inside Out programme and speaking at local and national events such as the World of Learning Conference and Exhibition.
Claire is the Higher Education Lead Independent Apprenticeship Assessor for the Chartered Management Institute and sits on the CMI West Midlands board as the Apprenticeships Champion. Claire holds other Independent Assessor roles and advises companies, training providers and universities on all aspects of apprenticeships.
Meet The Team: Zoe Lingham
Business and Apprenticeship Coach
Zoe has extensive expertise in apprenticeships, managing apprenticeship programmes, business development including bid writing and a focus on quality and compliance. Zoe is a qualified trainer, assessor and IQA. Zoe brings a positive outlook and pragmatic, supportive approach to developing solutions in partnership with clients. Her passions are apprentice and employee experience, promoting life-long learning and offering opportunities to all. She has been responsible for developing responses to competitive tenders in universities and for clients to develop tailored value propositions.
Zoe has over 18 years’ experience in work-based learning, her specialist expertise in
Apprenticeships has been acquired from: working in independent training providers, FE Colleges and Universities; delivering and assessing apprenticeships; managing quality assurance; creating innovative programmes; developing strategies; mapping existing learning content to apprenticeship standards; working in partnership with governing bodies, funding bodies, awarding organisations and other strategic partners.
Zoe partners with organisations, offering specialist advice and guidance from maximising the Apprenticeship Levy to designing bespoke apprenticeship programmes at all levels with a focus on investment and impact; employee engagement and learner experience balanced with effective quality and compliance, leadership and governance.
The Apprenticeship Coach
Tel: +44 (0) 1789 450 650
Mob: +44 (0) 7970 692009