Leading independent apprenticeship training provider, Damar Training, is celebrating its 45th birthday this month: 45 years of transforming lives and careers through high-quality vocational training.
Founded in 1980 by Stockport businesswoman, Dale Stafford, as a secretarial training college, Damar is now a national education provider, specialising in business and professional services apprenticeships and working with over 1,300 apprentices and 550 employers across England.
"Forty-five years ago, Damar welcomed its first students to what was then a small secretarial training college in Stockport," said Jonathan Bourne, Damar’s Managing Director. "Today, we're proud to be one of the largest independent providers specialising in developing the business and professional skills that power organisational success and economic growth.
“Our apprentices go on to provide expert professional and administrative services, lead teams, deliver great customer and client experiences, and ensure regulatory compliance. Whatever their age or level of study - from entry to postgraduate level – they progress their careers and access good jobs with supportive employers."
From shorthand to solicitors: A journey of evolution
Damar Training’s journey reflects the changing landscape of UK vocational education. In 1980, when the average UK house price was £23,628 and everyday internet access was still more than a decade away, all training took place in Stockport classrooms with students learning traditional secretarial skills such as shorthand. The Youth Training Scheme (YTS) of the 1980s was followed by NVQ programmes and the old apprenticeship frameworks of the 1990s and early 2000s. Damar was one of the first providers to offer the new apprenticeship standards in 2017.
Today, Damar's nationally-based team work with apprentices across England, delivering apprenticeship programmes across a range of business and professional disciplines. These days, delivery is more accessible and largely takes place online, face-to-face using a mix of coaching, expert-led workshops and digital learning delivered through Damar’s online learning platform.
"How we deliver has evolved, and apprenticeships have certainly become more valuable and more challenging, but our core mission remains exactly the same as it was," Jonathan explained. "Now, like then, we have a single ambition, which is for our students, and the organisations they work for to achieve their full potential. The same ambition extends to our colleagues."
Since 1980, Damar has worked with over 20,000 students who have gone on to successful careers across industries including local government, healthcare, accountancy, law, teaching, and travel.
With overall apprenticeship success rates significantly above national averages and latest employer and apprentice satisfaction rates of over 95%, Damar is clearly getting much right at a time when skills and economic growth are at the top of the government’s agenda.
Its success has been built on what the company calls "The Damar Difference" – a set of values developed collaboratively by the team that emphasise working as one team with a common purpose, with everyone taking accountability and working to make a positive impact on individuals and organisations.
Ambitious growth plans for the future
Now well into its fifth decade, the provider has ambitious plans for sustainable growth. Key strategic initiatives include:
• Industry connection: Damar has established an advisory board of industry experts to provide strategic guidance and ensure programmes remain aligned with sector needs.
• Programme expansion: Damar plans to grow its provision, broadening the range of business and professional apprenticeships on offer.
• Technology investment: Significant upgrades to learning platforms with specialist external support, integrating learning on artificial intelligence across all programmes as well as to support delivery, with robust policies to manage risk.
• Championing accessibility and inclusion: Continued investment in functional skills development in English and mathematics, as well as SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) support to ensure a level playing field for all students.
"As we celebrate 45 years of Damar Training, I'm incredibly proud of how far we've come,” Jonathan said, “from a small secretarial college to a national provider. We are not just responding to change but supporting the skills and growth agenda nationally. Our commitment to accessibility and inclusion ensures that every apprentice, regardless of their starting point, has the opportunity to unlock their potential."
The provider invites former students, particularly those from the early days, to share their career journeys and connect via their social media channels on Facebook, X and LinkedIn with the hashtag #DAMAR45.