A Derby mortgage broker has been recognised by Royalty for its commitment to learning and development.
Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB), which has its head office on Pride Park, has been named as one of 44 companies across the UK to achieve a City & Guilds Princess Royal Training Award, 2019.
The award is for UK employers that have created lasting impact by successfully linking their skills development needs to business performance.
MAB, which offers a range of mortgage services, employs 180 staff and has more than 1,350 mortgage advisers nationwide.
The firm’s learning and development academy, which delivers training programmes across the entire MAB network, underwent a rigorous process to be recognised.
This included site audits, interviews with learners and businesses who have experienced a MAB training course, as well as a detailed evidencing process of both the impact on the business itself and outcomes for learners.
David Bedlow is head of learning and development at MAB. On Wednesday he will visit St James’ Palace to collect the award from Princess Anne herself, who is the president of the City & Guilds Group.
This will be followed by afternoon tea with the Princess and an opportunity to talk about why the training programmes have been recognised as leading in their respective industries.
He said: “We are extremely proud of the MAB learning and development academy and the role it plays in helping inexperienced advisers into the industry.
“To have had more than 200 advisers come through this programme is a testament to the hard work all the team put in, but especially Andy Thompson who has been part of the academy since launch.
“Without his commitment, drive and passion, the academy wouldn’t be in a position to win this award.
“There have been so many contributions towards this accolade from the trainers who run the programme, the admin support, and the wider support we receive from other MAB teams.”
MAB was recently ranked 49th in Derbyshire’s Top 200 companies – a study by the University of Derby, on behalf of the Derby Telegraph, based on the overall financial health of firms in the region.
Chief executive Peter Brodnicki said: “Learning and development is the foundation of our business.
“We’re constantly evolving our proposition to meet the needs of the customer, so it’s vitally important that our brokers and staff have access to first-class training and development.
“It’s also crucial that we continue to contribute to the wider development of the industry – the mortgage intermediary sector will be evolving fast over the next five years led by consumer behaviour and the choices technology delivers.
“So, it’s about knowing what is around the corner and equipping ourselves to embrace change.”
