A Welsh Training Provider has appointed rugby legend Martyn Williams MBE as Vocational Skills Ambassador.

Martyn Williams MBE has teamed up with apprenticeship specialist Educ8 Group in light of their shared admiration for the impact workplace training can have on local communities.

The Ystrad Mynach-headquartered business has brought on board the former Cardiff Blues, Wales and Lions openside flanker to help promote the work it does with younger people and adult learners.

Speaking of the appointment, Martyn Williams said:

“Becoming an ambassador for Educ8 means a huge amount to me. When I met the Educ8 board I was blown away with the strength of their values and I can massively relate to the culture of the business. I know the sort of people Educ8 is looking to help, adding value to their lives and the community. I’ve always been proud to be a team player and living my life along the same values as Educ8 such as honesty, integrity and hard work. “There’s no substitute for hard work but with Educ8’s help, so many people can benefit from having better lives and brighter futures. I’ve kept an eye on Educ8 and I’m aware of their recent success in the Sunday Times Top 100 Small Companies; it’s a really exciting time to join the company and I look forward to making a huge difference.”

Founder and Chairman, Colin Tucker, said:

“This is a fantastic appointment to our business. Martyn is a globally recognised figure as a rugby player but also has an impressive reputation as a businessperson. We welcome Martyn to the Educ8 family and look forward to him helping us grow as a company and help young people and adult learners realise their potential and build better futures.”

Winning 100 Welsh caps in a career that spanned 18 years, as well as being selected for three tours for the British & Irish Lions, the man from Pontypridd knows the importance of adult education. Since retiring from rugby, Martyn has qualified as an independent financial adviser and undertaken many exams to further his knowledge of the financial sector.

Speaking of the importance of work-based learning, Martyn said:

“The best years of my playing career were after I was 30 and I put that down to engaging my brain more away from rugby. Picking up other skills and meeting other people in a different environment enhanced my job and my life as a whole.”

Educ8 CEO Grant Santos said:

“This is another important landmark in our strategic growth plans. Martyn will help us promote the importance of education at all ages as well as assist us with our internal events. 2019 has been a monumental year so far for us already and this is another reason to be proud of the company we have built and the work we are doing.”

Educ8 has operations across Wales and England and since the start of the year, Educ8 has been named as the Best Small Company in Wales to work for at the annual Sunday Times Best Companies Awards, as well as acquiring hair and beauty training specialist ISA Training and nearly doubling its staff numbers in the process.

Educ8 offers employers a series of interlinked opportunities such as Jobs Growth Wales and Apprenticeship Programmes as well as providing a seamless solution to staff recruitment and development requirements across many organisations.

For further information on Educ8’s services, visit www.educ8training.co.uk , call 01443 749000 or email [email protected].