Huw Lewis MBE

Huw is the CEO and Founder of the Motivational Preparation College for Training (MPCT).

Huw joined the Royal Welch Fusiliers at the age of 17 where he served in Northern Ireland, Berlin, Bosnia, Uzbekistan and Malawi. Huw completed his military career reaching the rank of Captain in the Royal Welsh.

After leaving the Army, Huw quickly became known for his passion and ability to relate to young people instilling motivation and determination in the youth of today to succeed and fulfil their ambitions. In 2001, Huw received an MBE for his work with young people.

MPCT has been hugely successful since its conception in 1999 and has been awarded the Investors in People Gold Award three times, the first organisation to achieve such status in the UK. Through Huw’s persistent drive and commitment to help young people, MPCT has now trained over 12,000 Learners, aged 14-19 and 16 – 23 across both England and Wales. The company’s operation has expanded to 32 locations across the UK, employing 176 full time staff.

In August 2014, MPCT was awarded the highest performance grade possible by Her Majesty’s Inspectorates OFSTED, achieving Grade 1 Outstanding across all areas. Huw’s leadership and management skills were recognised as outstanding where “senior leaders place their highest priority on supporting all Learners to succeed”. Huw, along with his team, has helped enlist over 2,730 young people into the Military, resulting in MPCT achieving a Defence Recognition Scheme Silver Award in 2017. Huw was awarded Wales Director of the Year 2017 by the Institute of Directors.

Huw and his team have worked extremely hard to make MPCT the best place to work and these efforts have been recognised as MPCT ranked in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Small Companies to Work For in 2017. Alongside this, MPCT was awarded 3-Star Accreditation status from engagement specialists Best Companies, which represents extraordinary levels of engagement.

In 2017 MPCT was named as the TES “Training Provider of the Year” – this is one of the most prestigious awards a training provider can receive. Whilst working at MPCT is rewarding, engaging and positively challenging for staff, it is equally rewarding for all of the young people who attend the Colleges.

Hailed from Gwynedd, in North Wales, where he was born in 1968, Huw now lives in Monmouth. Huw is a passionate cyclist andwalker as well as a keen runner, having completed many marathons over the years. In 2017, he took on the challenge of completing one of the toughest foot races known to man – the Marathon des Sables. The marathon consisted of six marathons in seven days, carrying all of his own kit and equipment across the Sahara Desert. Huw, together with MPCT Senior Director, Brian Edwards, raised £11,705 for the Motivation and Learning Trust. The charity supports, develops and enhances life opportunities for MPCT Learners’ past, present and future. Huw is planning to tackle this challenge again in 2020.

Brian Edwards

Brian was born in the Rhondda Valley in 1977. He grew up wanting to play rugby and join the British Army. At the age of 17 he joined the Royal Regiment of Wales, during his 10 years service in the Army he carried out Military Operations in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo and was posted in, Germany, London, Africa, Belize. During Brian's time in the Army he was lucky enough to play for the Combined services at under 21 level and the British Army at senior level.

During his service he was posted to Cardiff to play semi professional rugby as well as be a Military Coordinator at MPCT, during this time he became to love the ethos of the organisation and eventually left the Army to work full time at MPCT as a Fitness Manager and BMF Instructor. After a period of time Brian decided to take a sabbatical and go back to University to study education. A short time after graduating Brian was appointed as Quality Director at MPCT to help the organisation continue with its great work within local communities.

Brian's professional passion in life is to help MPCT become the shining beacon of the Estyn and Ofsted frameworks.

Donna Briggs

Donna Louise Briggs was born in 1967 in Splott, Cardiff. Donna attended Willows High School on leaving school Donna started an apprenticeship with Trust House Forte and trained to become a chef.

Whilst working as a chef in various establishments throughout Cardiff, a training company approached Donna to become an NVQ Assessor/Tutor to deliver catering training to young disaffected people there she realised her vocation was to train young people.

Donna has worked in training since the age of 20yrs old gaining vast experience in all aspects of Government funded Training. Positions include Assessor/verifier, Project Manager, New Deal development officer, Adult Contract Manager, Alternative Curriculum Coordinator, Quality Assurance Manager.

During her time in training Donna met Sgt Huw Lewis and together were responsible for the inception of the 1st Army Preparation Course in 1999. Donna was made The General Manager for The Training Division of Cardiff Chamber of Commerce in 2002, managing all aspects of training across 6 training centres.

In September 2004 Huw Lewis formed The Training Agency and Donna was employed as The Director of Training. The Training Agency, offers Motivational, and Leadership training to corporate business, individuals and schools.
Part of Donna’s role was to set up and manage British Military Fitness (BMF)and The Schools Programme both under the banner of The Training Agency.

Donna has since moved into the position of Director of HR and is responsible for all aspects of Human Resources across the whole operation of MPCT.

Emma Lambert

Emma is a qualified accountant and fellow member of the Association of Certified and Chartered Accountants (ACCA) since 2006.

In her early career she trained and specialised in payroll related work. It was payroll work that saw Emma employed by a local firm of Chartered Accountants as a Payroll Bureau Manager, which in turn led to her training to become a qualified accountant. Emma was promoted through the company to position of Business Services Manager where she specialised in company audits, management accounts and assignments to help companies set up efficient accounting functions. Emma left this role in 2009 in order to gain experience as an accountant working in industry and secured the position of Financial Controller with a computer components distributor, before joining MPCT in June 2014 as Head of Finance and gaining promotion to Director of Finance in December 2015.

Tim Williams

Having left University in 1996 without successfully obtaining the desired Job in the Pharmiceutical Industry, Tim continued his part time job as a turf accountant and quickly graduated to Manager Level.

In 1997 he secured a position in the claims department at South Glamorgan Training and Enterprise Council and so began his association with Work Based Learning.

In 1999 he left SEWTEC (Merged T.E.C.'s) to join NEWAY Training in Cardiff as the Administration Manager. His responsibilities involved claims to awarding bodies and to the Welsh Assembly.

In 2002 he moved to APCymru to work with Huw Lewis as the Business Manager taking overall responsibilty for the Finance and Administration of the company. The role developed quickly into the current post of Director of Finance. In 2014, the position was refined to Director of Contracts.

Steve Williams

Steve served in the Army for 23 years having joined the Army as a Junior Soldier in Cwrt-Y-Gollen (Crickhowell) he served with 1RWF now the Royal Welsh for the duration of his career.
Whilst in the Army he completed many courses throughout his career from Infantry Courses, Signals, Medical courses, Mortar Courses, and also completed all his management courses for his promotion with distinction. Later years in the Army Steve performed a variety of challenging jobs/roles from Company Sergeant Major (CSM), Regimental Quarter Master Sergeant (RQMS), Welfare Officer and Regimental Careers Management Officer (RCMO).
He has recently retired from service after his injury of a below knee amputation as he felt he could no longer do what he wanted to do due to his reduction in his physical capabilities.

Steve joined MPCT (APCymru) as the Area Manager for North Wales and his knowledge of all he has done throughout his forces career, was put to good use and not just in helping the students but the college progress in the direction the Managing Director wishes it to go in being the best provider of its kind.

Steve was made a Director (Director of Operations for MPCT) in 2009 responsible operationally for all the Operational details of college locations, including; programming, Lesson development and Health & Safety and welfare/safe guarding and attending regional meetings external and internal as required.

In 2010 unfortunately and frustratingly due to some complications he had to undergo an above knee amputation reducing his mobility further.

In 2013 and due to the company growing he has undertaken the role of Director of Risk Management for MPCT focusing on H&S, Safeguarding and Welfare and brought all his past experience within the roles he has held within the Military and now Civilian roles to ensure outstanding H&S, safeguarding and welfare support for all within MPCT.

He is also a Trustee of the MLT (Motivational Learners Trust) since 2016.

He continues to grow with the company and update his experience and courses to ensure his continued personal development within his roles held.

Dan Shooter

In 2003 Dan moved to Cardiff from Pembrokeshire to complete a BSc (Hons) degree in Sports and Physical Education at the University of Wales Institute Cardiff. Shortly after, he attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and commissioned into the 1st Battalion Royal Welsh. After serving as Platoon Commander in Battalion in Cyprus and Chester and also on operational deployments, he went onto instructing at the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick. In 2010 Dan left the Army at the rank of Captain to pursue a career in education. He worked in the Pupil Referral Unit in Penarth, Cardiff, as a Learning Support Assistant before completing a PGCE at Masters Level at Bath University. Dan became a teacher of Physical Education in an inner city Bristol Secondary School in 2011 and held additional responsibilities of Head of Year, literacy, mathematics and lead practitioner of the gifted and talented provision for Physical Education.

Huw Moores

Huw joined Army aged 16 at the Army Apprentices College in Chepstow and completed his Apprenticeship as a welder fabricator. He then went on to train the potential future specialist welders of the Royal Engineers, at the Royal School of military Engineering and pass on the experience and skills established on the job. During his career in the Army Huw experienced many different working settings within the Royal Engineers in employment rolls which included Combat, Air Mobile, Air Support, Amphibious, Armoured and Air Assault in different operational environments around the world. Huw's army career spanned nearly 30 years, culminating in his last job as the Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1) of the Brigade Recruiting Advisory Team responsible for the preparation and delivery of training, monitoring recruiting standards and MIS support to the regional recruiting framework across Wales.
Huw has had extensive experience in the sphere of instruction, training and re