Our Story

Our Story

Discover the story behind Vocational Training Hub and our mission to transform learning across the social care and children looked after sectors.

Neil Degg
Neil Degg Director
Featured by
BBC Forbes

Neil Degg knows what the future can look like for someone from a deprived background and/or lacking in a good education. Raised in a part of Manchester with high unemployment and low educational outcomes, he was already getting into trouble by the age of six. Coupled with an emotionally absent father and a mother doing her best to keep the family together, life was always going to be a challenge.

By the age of 15, Neil was living in a homeless unit. Alienated from the kind of support network a person needs to make healthy choices, his life continued on a downward spiral. Reflecting on those times, he says, “I wasn’t thinking about how my behaviour was impacting other people. I was just trying to survive in the only way I knew how.”

Things only began to change for Neil when, at 28, he was given the opportunity to work in social care:

“I instantly resonated with that environment. I understood the challenges that young people in care faced - and those of adults who lacked an education, or were from a marginalised background. I could see why they often failed and I knew I could use my own experiences to make a positive contribution to the lives of others. It made me realise, had I received the right encouragement, education and opportunity, I could have contributed positively to society a lot sooner"

Neil initiated Vocational Training Hub in 2014 with a vision to transform learning across the social care and children looked after sectors. He brought together a network of experienced professionals, sector experts and practitioners, united by a shared commitment to delivering that vision.

Proudly featured in Forbes and showcased on the BBC for the outcomes achieved with children, young people and adults, Vocational Training Hub provides training resources across multiple sectors - supporting an individual’s career alongside free preventative, life skill, parental and mental health resources for all age groups.

Vocational Training Hub believes that engagement is pivotal for an individual to be inspired to invest time in themselves. Everyone’s experience of life, regardless of age, determines their ability to see the value in something. Unfortunately, life can sometimes make the possible seem impossible - but we must never stop trying to unlock each individual’s potential.

“I would like to personally welcome you to access our training resources with an open invitation to provide us feedback or suggestions to help us continuously be impactful & accessible.”

Kind Regards
Neil Degg

Email: feedback@vocationaltraininghub.com

Learners standing together in a classroom
Our purpose

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide exceptional children's services specific courses that build confidence, develop careers and promote well-being — reaching all learners, regardless of age or background.

Harnessing the science of learning, we believe in global collaboration — providing a platform where experts and practitioners can share their knowledge for the greater good.

Better learning.
Stronger futures. Together.
Our passion

Our Passion

We are driven by a passion to help every person we engage with to become the best version of themselves.

The Children Services prides itself on providing exceptional vocational training resources that help each individual to learn, engage and grow — from birth, throughout adulthood. We are focused on delivering outcomes that have a positive impact on children, young people, and adults.

We understand that to deliver amazing outcomes for children and young people, we also need to support each adult’s mental health and develop their basic life skills, providing practical solutions to the everyday issues that impact a person’s life chances.

We believe in creating a brighter future through education, empowerment, and community — because everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive.

An adult reading with a child in a library
Our approach

Collaboration

An ever-growing network accessible to all.

Our training material is provided by leading Children Services experts, practitioners, and exceptional sector-specific individuals with valuable lived experiences, allowing them to craft insightful learning outcomes.

Our training recognises that every individual is unique, with different learning styles and accessibility needs. It blends games, video, reading, writing and reflective practices and, as standard, every course comes with supporting material and assessments.

Stronger together. Better outcomes for everyone.
Two people shaking hands
Our approach

Learning
Methodologies

The Children Services works hand in hand with leading scientists from around the world to ensure our methods of creating & delivering training embrace each learning style to ensure knowledge is retained.

01
Reading
02
Writing
03
Interactions
04
Gamification
05
Videos
06
Reflective Practises
A team joining hands
Our vision

The Future

The Children Services’ long-term goal is to eventually reach out globally, ensuring everyone has access to exceptional vocational training to match their career ambitions — training that is accessible to every human being, regardless of background, disability or needs.

We are also aiming to extend free access to our person-centred training, including preventative resources as well as courses on life skills, parenting and mental health that make a real difference to every child, young person and adult.

Are you someone who can research and create training material specific to the Children Services sector? Get in touch today!

We’re always looking to collaborate with passionate individuals who want to make a difference.

support@vocationaltraininghub.com
Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.

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