Posted on 17 October 2025
David Brook, Head of Operational Training at Carlisle Support Services tells us how ETF Partnership has supported their workforce to gain more confidence, improve practical skills and have clearer career pathways.
Every day, our people show up to make public spaces safer, cleaner and more welcoming. They are experts in their fields - security, stewarding, cleaning, facilities management and beyond - but they are also educators. And that’s where the power of dual professionalism truly lies.
Like so many across the FE and skills sector, we’re being asked to do more with less. But we believe that the answer isn’t to do less learning - it’s to invest more deeply in it. Because when our trainers develop both their occupational expertise and their teaching craft, everyone benefits: learners, employers and the communities we serve.
Building a culture of learning and excellence
At Carlisle Support Services, we have built a team driven by one shared mission: to deliver best-in-class training that changes lives. Our approach integrates technical mastery with the art of education, ensuring every trainer is not only a subject specialist but also a confident, reflective practitioner who models lifelong learning.
Our relationship with Education Training Foundation (ETF) through ETF Partnership underpins this commitment. Every member of our training team holds individual professional membership and works actively with the 20 Professional Standards as their compass for continuous improvement. These standards provide the rigour and reflection that drive innovation, quality, and consistency across all our programmes.
Collaboration, leadership and innovation
We take pride in leading sector-specific qualification design - partnering with awarding bodies and stakeholders to create training that’s fit for the realities of frontline operational roles. This work helps raise the bar for education and professional practice across the wider industry.
Personally, my own journey with ETF has been transformative. From the Senior Leader Programme at King’s College, to achieving QTLS, ATS, and the Specialist Status for Education for Sustainable Development, each experience has deepened my leadership and sharpened our organisation’s strategic thinking around pedagogy and workforce development.
As a result, all our training team members now either hold or are working towards higher-level teaching qualifications, complemented by sector-specific expertise across security, stewarding, cleaning, and facilities management. Together, we bridge the gap between theory and practice - ensuring every learning experience is grounded, relevant and of the highest standard.
Real-world impact
The results speak for themselves. Learners report greater confidence, stronger practical skills and clearer career pathways. Our training consistently achieves outstanding satisfaction ratings, and we see first-hand how professional growth drives organisational performance and culture.
My own 25-year journey in professional development has been marked by milestones — but none more defining than achieving ATS, supported by my mentor, Dr Jane Kay, who once told me:
“ATS doesn’t just open a door - it opens a corridor of open doors.”
That corridor has led to senior appointments, an MA in Education and Extremism, and an Advanced Diploma in Counter Terrorism Risk Management. It’s also inspired my current Doctorate in Education at the University of Huddersfield, exploring how new legislation (the Terrorism [Protection of Premises] Act 2025) will reshape security training and public safety.
Giving back to the profession
Today, as a member of ETF’s Education, Quality and Standards Committee, I’m proud to represent the voice of employer providers and advocate for the value of dual professionalism across the sector.
Our message is simple: we don’t just train to meet standards - we lead to redefine them.
By working with ETF, we’re helping to build a future where every professional in our sector is equipped, recognised and empowered to thrive.
Discover ETF Partnership
Find out how ETF Partnership can help you and your teams to create a culture where professional development is everyday, rewarded and supported.