Honours recognition for chief executive of the Association of Learning Providers

Graham Hoyle, the chief executive of the Association of Learning Providers, has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to skills training.

The honour has been greeted with unreserved delight by leaders of work-based and vocational learning providers. They consider it recognition of the contribution that the work-based learning sector has been making to shaping and advancing the Government’s employment and skills agenda.

Graham Hoyle became the first chief executive of the Association of Learning Providers (ALP) when it was set up in 2002 to primarily represent the interests of private and voluntary sector learning providers who deliver skills and employment programmes for government departments and the devolved administrations. Since its founding, ALP’s membership has expanded to 440 organisations, including 60 further education colleges that are involved in work-based learning.

Although the organisation is run from Keynsham near Bristol with a relatively small number of staff, ALP has established itself a major influencer of policy in Whitehall, with other stakeholders in the FE and skills sector frequently referring to it as ‘punching above its weight’.

Martin Dunford, chief executive of Skills Training UK and ALP’s chairman, said: “On behalf of ALP’s members, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to Graham on the awarding of his OBE. The fact that the Association of Learning Providers has become such an influential voice on employment and skills issues is in no small part due to the role that Graham has played in promoting the views of vocational learning providers in a diplomatic but firm fashion in recent years.

“It is particularly pleasing that this announcement has been made in the same week when the Government has published its latest set of proposals for closer integration of policy formulation and implementation of employment and skills programmes which currently sit under two different Whitehall departments. Until Lord Leitch published his review of skills in 2006, ALP had been almost a lone voice in advocating a more integrated approach. ALP members and I look forward to continue working with Graham and his team in helping to further influence policies that result in improved productivity in British businesses and increases in sustainable employment levels.”

Graham Hoyle said: “I am very grateful for the recommendation that has resulted in this honour and I sincerely hope that more honours will follow for individuals in the independent learning and skills sector that make such a difference to the lives of people who frequently come from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the ALP board of directors, ALP’s member organisations and the hard-working ALP secretariat for all of their support and input in helping to make the Association a positive and influential voice in the FE sector.”

ENDS

Contact Aidan Relf on 07710 3015182

Note to editors

1. About Graham Hoyle OBE
Following an early career working for the Employment Service for over 20 years, (9 years as a full-time trainer), Graham Hoyle transferred in 1986 to the Training Agency firstly as Area Manager for Devon and Cornwall, then for Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. Throughout the ‘90s he was Chief Executive of the Gloucestershire TEC, into which he merged the Gloucestershire Enterprise Agency and Business Link (Gloucestershire) to form The Link Group. He also was creator of the Gloucestershire Development Agency and the 5 County West of England Development Agency, the forerunner of the SW RDA. Also at this time he was Chair of the TEC National Council’s Education and Training Committee, which amongst much else was responsible for the creation of Modern Apprenticeships and what was to become the Adult Learning Inspectorate. He was also a founder of the Guidance Council.

Since 2002 Graham has been Chief Executive of the Association of Learning Providers, representing 440 members, primarily involved with work based learning. In this capacity he has been a member of the Government’s Skills Alliance and on a whole range of national steering groups, e.g. Train to Gain. More recently he has been taking a close interest in the plans to move to self regulation for the sector and he has just agreed to become chairman of the new National Improvement Partnership Board. He is regularly called on to give evidence at Parliamentary Select Committees.