Welcome to our news page, where we’ll keep you informed about the latest developments, courses, and industry trends. Whether it’s new training programs, expert insights, or important updates, this is your go-to source for everything happening at Access Training.
Colin receives an award at National Apprenticeship and Skills Awards 2025
Access Training is proud to congratulate our learner, Colin Colins, for being named Regional Winner for East of England in the prestigious Amazon Intermediate Apprentice of the Year Award at the Department for Education’s National Apprenticeship and Skills Awards 2025.
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Budget 2025 round-upWe’ve seen significant investment and changes aimed at tackling youth unemployment and strengthening workforce skills.
With £1.5 billion committed through the Growth and Skills Levy and the new Youth Guarantee, these measures are designed to reduce the high number of young people currently not in education, employment or training (NEET) – estimated at around one million. |
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Access Training named finalist for prestigious award
We’re proud to announce that we’ve been shortlisted as a finalist for the Education and Business Partnership of the Year at the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.
“We’re thrilled to be recognised for our collaborative ethos,” said Corrina Hembury, Managing Director. “This award reflects the dedication of our team and the strength of our partnerships with employers across the East Midlands.” |
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Celebrating success and shaping futuresOn Wednesday 1st October 2025, the grand Council House in Nottingham came alive with pride and celebration as we hosted our annual Apprenticeship Graduation Event, a tribute to the achievements of our dedicated apprentices.
“Your hard work, dedication, and willingness to learn are truly inspiring. Apprenticeships are key to building a confident and capable workforce for the future.” |
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Ofsted ‘Good’ rating achieved
We’re delighted to share that we have once again been rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted, a recognition we’ve now held consistently for the past 15 years.
“We’re proud of our track record and even more excited for what’s ahead. I’d like to thank everyone who continues to be part of the Access Training journey." |
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Access Training welcomes new Competence and Conduct Standard for social housing professionalComing into force in October 2026, the standard will set new expectations for professionalism and qualifications across the sector. Larger registered providers (1,000+ homes) will have three years to meet the new requirements, with four years for smaller providers.
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New legal requirements in housing
We’ve been accredited the Matrix Standard
Investment in construction skills training - £600m for the construction sectorWe welcome the UK government’s announcement of a £600 million investment to train 60,000 more skilled construction workers, reinforcing the critical need for high-quality training to address the industry’s growing skills shortage.
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Get your team housing qualifiedThe housing sector is changing fast, and meeting new regulations isn’t just important — it’s essential. If your organisation employs housing people, ensuring your team is up to date with current requirements protects your tenants, strengthens your services, and helps you avoid costly penalties.
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Dispelling the myths about apprenticeshipsApprenticeships are a fantastic way to gain qualifications, develop real-world skills, and advance in a chosen career. But despite their benefits, there are still many misconceptions that hold people back from considering them. At Access Training, we’re committed to breaking down these myths and helping both learners and employers see the true value of apprenticeships.
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Access Training celebrates National Apprenticeship Week 2025We’re proud to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week 2025, highlighting the incredible impact apprenticeships have on individuals, businesses, and the wider economy. This annual event is a time to recognise the achievements of apprentices and showcase the life-changing opportunities vocational training provides.
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Welcome to our new Operations Director, Hannah
The benefits of recruiting an apprentice
We’re saying goodbye to Twitter/X.
Early Years Apprenticeship Vacancies
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We deliver Early Years Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships and we have a number of vacancies available for you to work with one of our fabulous employers.
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We’re exhibiting at Housing 2024
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We’re delighted to confirm that we will be exhibiting at Housing 2024 for the second year running. The housing exhibition will take place at Manchester Central from Tuesday 25 to Thursday 27 June 2024.
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Time to Talk day 2024
Thursday 1st February is Time to Talk Day, which gives us a chance to speak openly about mental health and to direct you to the support Access Training offer.
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READ THIS ARTICLE
Chair Will Nixon awarded British Empire Medal
We are delighted to share the news that our Chair Will Nixon has been awarded ‘Medal of the Order of the British Empire’ (BEM) for services to Young People in the West Midlands in the King's New Year Honours list.
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READ THIS ARTICLE
We’ve been featured in Inside HousingOur Managing Director Corinna Hembury has been featured in Inside Housing’s article looking at the new qualification requirements for housing professionals.
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Expert status for Access Training
We’ve been selected to take part in the Department for Education’s (DfE) expert apprenticeship training provider pilot.
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READ THIS ARTICLE
Enrolment now open for CIH Level 4 Housing PracticeWe are pleased to announce that we are enrolling housing people for the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Level 4 Certificate in Housing Practice.
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Access Training launches new Learning and Skills Mentor ApprenticeshipBusinesses seeking to enhance the learning and development of their staff and teams are to be offered valuable support with the launch of a new Learning and Skills Mentor Apprenticeship.
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Government announces mandatory housing qualification for social housingNew Government legislation will make a professional Housing qualification mandatory for all senior managers and executives in the social housing sector.
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Access Training selected as a delivery partner for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in NottinghamThere’s been a lot of coverage recently about how Nottingham has lost out to other towns and cities in the latest round of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
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East Midlands Chamber’s Business Award Winner - Apprentice of the Year (Derbyshire) announced by Access TrainingIt was an honour for Access Training to be the sponsor of the Apprentice of the Year category of East Midlands Chamber's Business Awards (Derbyshire) 2022.
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Lives broken by addiction offered hope through employability supportMen whose lives have been blighted by drug or substance misuse are being offered the chance to re-build through a joint partnership of The Carpenters Arms and Access Training (East Midlands) Ltd.
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Ukrainian refugees re-build their lives with the help of Access TrainingUkrainian refugees in Derby are being offered valuable support in finding employment, with support from the team at Access Training.
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Access Training announced as finalist for three of the region’s most prestigious awardsWe’re delighted that Access Training has once again been announced as a finalist for three of our region’s most prestigious awards.
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Notts County Football Club unveils Access Training’s perimeter boardsWe’re delighted to announce that Access Training’s new perimeter boards have been unveiled at Notts County Football Club.
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How to grow your SME using the Apprenticeship Levy TransferWhilst it may seem counter-intuitive to the Government’s pledge to invest in apprenticeships, SMEs are subject to a funding cap of ten apprentices.
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Enrolment now open for September’s study programmesAccess Training has announced details of its study programmes for the academic year 2022-23.
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Notts County Football Club unveils Access Training as its new home Front-of-Shirt sponsorWe’re delighted to announce that Access Training has been chosen as the home shirt sponsor of Notts County Football Club for the 2022-23 football season.
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Access Training achieves EPA Centre of Excellence statusHigh pass rates and a high number of distinctions are why Access Training has been chosen as a Centre of Excellence for End-Point Assessment (EPA), according to City and Guilds.
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Access Training gains accreditation to the matrix Standard once moreWe’re delighted to announce that we have once again been accredited to the Department for Education’s matrix Standard.
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What qualifies a training provider to work in the Housing sector?
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We’ve been reflecting a lot recently on what it means to be a trusted training provider to the Housing sector.
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Access Training wins Nottinghamshire Education and Business Partnership Award 2021Access Training has been crowned the winner of the Nottinghamshire Education and Business Partnership Award 2021, by East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire).
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Access Training’s contract win brings new recruitment support to our region’s businessesBusinesses across the East Midlands have been given a welcome boost by the news that Access Training has been awarded a sizeable contract to improve recruitment in the region.
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Access Training Supporting Kickstart SchemeAccess Training are delighted to announce two new partnerships with Kickstart Gateway organisations to deliver employability training to young people on the Kickstart Programme.
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What will the Skills for Jobs Strategy mean to your business?In its Skills for Jobs White Paper, the UK Government outlines its proposals to “move on from previous underestimations of further and technical education and reinforce its pivotal role as a pathway to a bright future”.
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Apprenticeships used to train the next generation of leaders and managersDuring National Apprenticeship Week, Access Training are delighted to announce a new partnership with insurance broker Aston Lark, to train the next generation of managers and leaders via the apprenticeship scheme.
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Education and Business Partnership Award Win at the EMC Nottinghamshire Business Awards
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Access Training are proud to be announced as the winners of the Education and Business Partnership Award at the East Midlands Chambers of Commerce Nottingham Business Awards 2020.
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Anti-Bullying Week 2020Access Training is coming out in force to support Anti-Bullying Week 2020 from Monday 16th - Friday 20th November. We wanted to not only start the first day off with odd socks but have them all through the week.
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Access Training’s Commitment to Learning AwardsWe know that this has been a difficult year and we wanted to recognise the huge efforts our learners have made to continue with their learning. Some have continued to work during lockdown in front line roles, some have been working from home for the first time and others have been furloughed. Whatever your situation has been, we wanted to recognise the dedication shown to studies and so created the ‘Commitment to Learning’ Awards.
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Does your business have the skills to weather a recession?Businesses must react, quickly and decisively, like never before. Two of the most immediate concerns are a drop in new business and its impact on cashflow. Investing in the intellectual assets of your business – in other words, increasing the resilience of your workforce by introducing new skills – is an obvious solution to weather the storm.
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East Midlands Chamber Business Awards 2020We are delighted to share that Access Training has been shortlisted for the Education and Business Partnership Awards for both Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire at this year’s East Midlands Chamber Business Awards which celebrate the contribution East Midland’s businesses make to the region's thriving economy and communities.
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2020 Business Reboot Review on offer for East Midlands businessesBusinesses in the East Midlands are being offered a ‘2020 Reboot Review’ to assess how prepared their staff and operations are for the commercial challenges of a Covid-19 world.
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Trainee and apprentice bonus schemes – a quick guideNew Trainee and Apprentice bonus schemes were announced on 8 July 2020 by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
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Mental Health Awareness Week 2020
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Mental health problems can affect anyone, at any time. We believe that mental health is everyone’s business so we are joining the Mental Health Foundation by promoting Mental Health Awareness Week.
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Life under lockdown as a Health Care Apprentice"Despite the unusual circumstances surrounding the start of my apprenticeship, I know that, as each day of training passes, I’m one step closer to fulfilling my dream of becoming a health care practitioner."
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Celebrating Access Training’s 5,000th apprentice“I joined NUH as a Health Care Assistant five years ago. It’s certainly hard work – with long shifts from 7am until 7.30pm – but I thoroughly enjoy caring for the patients in my charge."
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Coronavirus Frequently Asked Questions for Employers of Apprentices
Access Training is committed to making sure our apprentices can continue their learning during this time and, in-line with government guidance, have created a set of Frequently Asked Questions to provide answers to commonly asked questions by employers.
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READ THIS ARTICLE
Coronavirus Frequently Asked Questions for Apprentices
Access Training is committed to making sure our apprentices can continue their learning during this time and, in-line with government guidance, have created a set of Frequently Asked Questions to provide answers to commonly asked questions.
READ THIS ARTICLE
READ THIS ARTICLE
New online apprenticeship resource for the East MidlandsWe’re excited to announce that our new online resource, designed to support apprenticeships across the East Midlands, has now been launched.
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OFSTED ‘Good’ rating for Access Training once againAccess Training is pleased to announce that it has, for a third consecutive period, secured a ‘Good’ rating from OFSTED following a full inspection in January 2020.
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East Midlands one of biggest beneficiaries from minimum wage increaseThe Government’s announcement to increase the minimum wage will benefit the East Midlands more than most other regions.
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Career kickstart for Access Training’s Managing Director? An apprenticeship of course!An apprenticeship is often the springboard for a lifetime of learning and achievement. Corrina Hembury, Managing Director of Access Training, is living proof.
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How we’re dispelling myths about ApprenticeshipsOne of the key challenges of making best use of the Apprenticeship Levy is to make sure all colleagues are aware of how it can be spent.
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Caring for Animals and Wildlife in WinterWhat does caring for farm animals and wildlife look like during the Winter months? Animal Care Trainer Lauren Cooper-Rawson gives an insight into Access’ full-time programme on animal care for the large and small, and how we can all play a part.
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Make 2020 a year of business transformation with the support of an apprenticeThe start of a new year is a perfect time to reflect on the needs of your business and the projects needed to initiate growth.
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Celebrating winners of the Access Awards 2019East Midland’s based Access Training, one of the region’s leading experts in training and apprenticeships, have announced the winners of their ‘Access Awards’ which recognise the commitment and achievements of both its learners and their employers.
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An apprenticeship provider who understands HousingRecruiting and retaining only the best candidates presents an ongoing challenge for any social housing provider. It’s a challenge that Access Training has been supporting housing associations with for some 35 years.
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Access Training outperforms on apprenticeships in the East MidlandsAccess Training has secured a place in the top 5% of apprenticeship providers across England for client satisfaction, according to the Department for Education’s FE Choices Employer Satisfaction survey.
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