Employability leader given nationwide recognition

Brian Bell, who has devoted his career to readdressing social injustice, has been honoured with a prestigious award from the sector he’s dedicated almost 40 years to.

The chief executive of Fedcap Employment, based in Newcastle, has been awarded the Outstanding Contribution to the Sector Achiever at the national Employability Awards, run by the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA).

From being a dedicated Jobcentre adviser in the 1980s to a leading innovator in the sector in the present day, Brian has spent years designing, developing and delivering cutting-edge services to help people who find themselves disadvantaged within communities in the UK and beyond.

He has consistently used his expertise and influence to achieve huge social impact – and under his watch, he and his teams have supported more than a million people to lead better lives.

Brian said: “I am extremely humbled to have been awarded this recognition from my peers in the sector. As always, these awards are a yearly reminder of the positive impact our sector has on people’s lives every day. As we move forward into uncertain economic times, it’s important that this work continues and that communities that have been left behind in the past are not left in the rear-view mirror once again.”

Elizabeth Taylor, CEO at ERSA, said: “The team at ERSA was delighted when Brian was chosen as the winner of Outstanding Contribution to the Sector 2020. Brian has been a dedicated champion of employment support and has contributed to the wider sector during his time on the ERSA board and his two years as our chairperson. I have witnessed on many occasions Brian’s peers look to him for leadership and for advice. His long years of dedication to getting people into work and promoting the role the sector plays make Brian a very worthy winner.”

Fedcap delivers employability programmes across the UK to help people achieve their potential. With unemployment set to rise in what’s being reported as the deepest recession in 300 years, the company will be submitting bids to deliver more under the Department for Work and Pensions’ new Commercial Agreement for Employment and Health Related Services (CAEHRS) and is looking to partner with providers which can deliver services in their local communities.