The British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) has completed the sale of BPIF Training, with the business acquired by Fiona Hudson-Kelly, an entrepreneur and specialist in apprenticeships, workforce development and business growth.
Ms Hudson-Kelly is known within the apprenticeship sector as the founder of Smart Assessor, a software platform used by apprenticeship training providers. According to BPIF, she brings commercial and strategic experience to the training provider as it begins operating under new ownership.
The sale follows a decision by the BPIF board of directors and management after a review of BPIF Training’s position as a regulated training provider. BPIF said the divestment will allow the organisation to focus resources on its membership and business services operations, while continuing to develop industry-facing services.
BPIF Training will continue operating from the shared Meriden office and arrangements remain in place across support functions including finance, human resources and IT. The organisation said the ownership change will not affect learners, employers or apprenticeship programmes, with training delivery and existing relationships continuing as normal.
BPIF and BPIF Training said they intend to maintain a working partnership supporting the print, packaging and graphic communications sectors.
Charles Jarrold, chief executive of BPIF, said: “This is a milestone moment for both organisations. BPIF Training has built an excellent reputation as a provider of high-quality apprenticeships and training, and under Fiona’s leadership it will have the independence and investment capacity to go further. For BPIF, this strategic decision allows us to sharpen our focus and investment to strengthen the services we deliver to our members.”
Ms Hudson-Kelly commented: “One of the greatest strengths of BPIF Training is its exceptional leadership team and dedicated people. Karly Lattimore and her experienced team will continue to lead the business day-to-day, providing continuity, expertise, and trusted support to learners, employers, and partners, with my support as chair as we build on the company’s strong foundations and future growth ambitions.
Karly Lattimore, managing director of BPIF Training, said: “BPIF Training has achieved significant progress over recent years, with continued improvements in quality, employer engagement, and organisational performance. This new chapter creates exciting opportunities to build further on those foundations, while maintaining the strong sector relationships and values that are central to the organisation.”
