APS and Collab Group in a new partnership to boost sales apprenticeships across the UK

The Collab Group and the Association of Professional Sales (APS) are delighted to announce a strategic partnership to boost sales apprenticeships across the UK. As many as 600 people could gain professional training and accreditation through our new alliance.

The world of sales is changing rapidly, from the digital revolution to the challenges of Brexit and beyond, so the need to develop a professional, skilled and ethical sales force is greater than ever.

With this in mind, Collab Group and the APS have developed the Sales Academy programme based on the level 4, B2B Sales Executive Apprenticeship standard. We have built a set of innovative training materials to guide and develop the skills of professional salespeople, helping them to be significantly more productive and effective as sales ambassadors for their companies and UK industry.

Collab Group and the APS are committed to helping employers make the most of their apprenticeship levy by investing in their sales forces to improve their selling power and their profits.

Our combined networks in education and sales will help us reach salespeople across different industries and sectors, offering tailored, local training options. Collab Group colleges work with thousands of employers who could stand to benefit from this innovative programme.

The APS was instrumental as the secretariat of the employer-led trailblazer group which created the new apprenticeship standard. The APS is also the preferred supplier for the assessment of sales apprentices delivered by Collab Group Colleges and is the only

organisation on the government’s official register of end-point assessors for Level 4 Sales Executive Apprenticeships.

Ian Pretty, CEO at Collab Group, said: “I am delighted that Collab Group has partnered with APS to improve the quality of sales training across the UK. The Sales Academy programme is an innovative training solution which will benefit employers, salespeople and the wider economy. Collab Group colleges will benefit greatly from this partnership, and we are excited to harness the expertise of the APS to create a more dynamic and resilient salesforce.”

Ben Turner, co-CEO of the APS, said: “It is great to be working together to deliver sales training excellence. Our partnership with the Collab Group paves the way for a new generation of salespeople to enrol for sales apprenticeships and develop their careers by gaining professional accreditation.

“This is a terrific opportunity for both the apprentices and their employers. We know that companies who invest in their people reap the benefits. Their salespeople feel valued and motivated and are more loyal to their organisations, and the businesses themselves benefit from having skilled, knowledgeable salespeople who build strong relationships with their customers based on trust and ethical behaviour. It’s a win-win situation.”

Notes:

1. About the APS:

The Association of Professional Sales is the leading authority for salespeople, a not-for-profit organisation reinvesting in the sales profession to build standards, trust and education. The APS is engaged with MPs to promote ethical, professional selling across UK businesses and has worked with the government, business leaders and academics to establish sales apprenticeships up to degree and master’s level. We are also campaigning for chartered status to give skilled, ethical salespeople the same recognition as other professions like accountants, architects, and engineers.

2. About Collab Group:

Collab Group is a membership organisation comprising 35 colleges and college groups which collectively represent approx. £1.8bn turnover and approximately 22% of the total UK ESFA contract value. Collab Group operates nationwide with three colleges in Scotland, two in Wales and one in Northern Ireland. We are a not-for-profit organisation whose primary focus is to support large employers with their skills strategy.