Stephen Crawley is a highly accomplished Executive Director with a distinguished career spanning over three decades in the skills and employability sector. His extensive experience includes a decade in the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Skills Training UK, where he has played a pivotal role in driving substantial business growth and establishing the organization as a leading national provider.
Stephen began his journey at Skills Training UK in 2011 as the Performance Improvement Manager, swiftly rising through the ranks to become the COO. Under his leadership, the company’s apprenticeship delivery and overall revenues surged from £3M to an impressive £20M. His strategic approach involved the development and marketing of bespoke sector-specific apprenticeships, particularly targeting the NHS, Local Authorities, Advanced Manufacturing, and Materials Testing sectors. Notably, his achievements include winning prestigious awards such as the TES FE Awards Training Provider of the Year in 2019 and the TES FE Awards Apprenticeship Provider of the Year in 2020.
His responsibilities as COO expanded to overseeing all national training operations, encompassing Apprenticeships, Study Programmes, Traineeships, Adult Education Budget programmes, and more recently, Bootcamps. This encompassed managing a team of over 200 staff, demonstrating his adeptness in operational direction and delivery.
Prior to Skills Training UK, Stephen held key roles such as Quality Improvement Manager at Newcastle College Group/Intraining, where he successfully implemented a £22 million Community Task Force across three contract regions, and as Owner Manager of Tilad Limited, an independent training business focusing on delivering Business Improvement Techniques to SMEs.
In his earlier career, Stephen served as Operations Director at TBG Learning, where he rose from Group Quality Manager to Operations Director, overseeing eleven learning centers, 300 staff, and an annual turnover of £20 million.
He possesses a comprehensive set of key skills crucial for leadership in the skills and employability sector. These include expertise in crafting effective business strategies, steering operational delivery, and providing guidance in sales and marketing initiatives. His proficiency extends to the successful implementation of tailored programs such as Apprenticeships, Traineeships, AEB, Bootcamps, and ESF initiatives. Stephen Crawley has consistently demonstrated a successful track record in quality management and has achieved positive outcomes in Ofsted inspections, underscoring his commitment to maintaining high standards in the organisations he leads.
Stephen is a well-qualified professional, having pursued Higher Education Qualifications at Birmingham University, including certifications in specifications standards and audit, internal auditing, lead assessor training, and more. His commitment to ongoing professional development is evident in his diverse skill set, covering areas such as statistical analysis and safeguarding in the FE Training Sector.
Stephen Crawley is not only a seasoned executive with a wealth of experience but also a dynamic leader who has consistently delivered outstanding results throughout his career. His commitment to quality, strategic vision, and effective operational management make him an invaluable asset to any organisation in the skills and employability sector.