Two well-known Staffordshire business owners have backed a careers and apprenticeship expert’s ambitious plans to support young people into work with a joint six figure investment.
Daniel Canavan founded The Spark Group last year with a vision to create long-term future work for North Staffordshire teenagers by giving them the skills needed to support the UK’s green energy needs.
He has now won the backing of KMF Group Managing Director Gareth Higgins MBE and Gareth Mobley, co-founder of Complete Ventures, a group of experienced investors.
Daniel said: “The UK needs to make a major investment in skills if it is to meet its net zero target. Fundamentally, this means creating scores of new apprenticeships in areas such as retrofitting homes.
“My vision is to use this need to inspire the workforce of the future in North Staffordshire. The Spark Group will equip apprentices with the skills and create its own retrofitting arm, Spark Contracts, to fit out homes across the area.”
He added: “Gaining the support of our investment partners is a huge boost to the aims of The Spark Group. The cash injection secured from Gareth Mobley and Gareth Higgins will allow The Spark Group to push forward by providing Spark with a base from which we will manage the business and recruit and train apprentices in green careers.
“They also bring with them a wealth of expertise and experience.”
Gareth Mobley, who previously grew Stoke-on-Trent-based door manufacturer Solidor from a start-up to a company with annual revenues of over £50 million a year and 350 staff, said: “There is a chronic lack of options and therefore aspiration in our city with too few options for our young people.
“It is my belief that The Spark Group can help solve this, ultimately generating skills and wealth for families and the local area.”
Gareth Higgins, whose precision engineering company is based in Newcastle-under-Lyme, said: “Dan’s vision of a highly trained skills-based workforce fits perfectly with our ethos at KMF.
“The UK needs new engineers to fulfil its net zero aims and Dan’s plans to inspire young people to take on the challenge will both help to achieve this and help to create young workers in North Staffordshire to aspire to reach new heights.”
The UK has an aim to decarbonise electricity production by 2035. According to a report commissioned by the Local Government Association there were 185,000 full-time workers in England’s low-carbon and renewable energy economy in 2018. This will rise to a potential 1.18 million jobs by 2035.
