News & Events

News & Events / MPCT CELEBRATES 21 YEARS OF HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE

MPCT CELEBRATES 21 YEARS OF HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE

It is 21 years since MPCT CEO, Huw Lewis MBE, founded the Motivational Preparation College for Training (MPCT), with the aim of using military and progressive education techniques to help young people across the UK achieve their potential.

Not only has MPCT now spread to 35 locations across England and Wales, but, since 1999, it has helped more than 20,000 school leavers gain the practical and academic skills they need for civilian or military careers.

Along with training in physical fitness, the courses – whose instructors are all ex-British Armed Forces personnel – help learners achieve qualifications in English and Mathematics and become proficient at problem solving, public speaking, leadership and communication.

MPCT has also received national recognition in the following:

  • Awarded the Investors in People Gold Award three times, the first organisation to achieve such status in the UK.
  • Awarded the highest standard Platinum of the Investors in People accreditation (IIP), a standard held by just 70 companies or one per cent of the 8300 UK firms with some form of IIP accreditation.
  • 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.
  • Signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the British Army and Royal Navy.
  • MPCT received the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award in 2019, in acknowledgement of its commitment to providing outstanding second career opportunities to ex-service personnel.  
  • 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 specialist Best Companies, which represents extraordinary levels of engagement.
  • Named 13th in the Best Companies to work for in Wales, 2020, * an annual list of  the 30 organisations with the highest Regional Best Companies Index (RBCI) scores.  
  • Named the TES ‘Training Provider of the Year’ by the Institute of Directors.

Huw, awarded Wales Director of the Year 2017, joined the Royal Welch Fusiliers at the age of 17, serving in Northern Ireland, Berlin, Bosnia, Uzbekistan and Malawi, reaching the rank of Captain with the regiment.

“As rewarding as my own military career was, nothing can match the knowledge that, through MPCT, we have not only supported former service men and women but have helped thousands of young people achieve their dreams,” he said

MPCT CEO, Huw Lewis MBE

MPCT : Engaging, Motivating and Educating young people for 21 years, here’s to the next 21.

Back to news articles

College isn’t working for me, what can I do next?

You thought college was going to be the next step. Maybe your friends went there, maybe it seemed like the obvious choice after school, maybe you picked a course because you weren’t completely sure what else to do. But now you’re there and something just isn’t clicking. You could be not enjoying it, struggling to...

Read more

What Happens When You Join the Military? From Application to Basic Training

Thinking about joining the Armed Forces can feel like a massive decision. If you’ve never spoken to anyone who’s been through the process, you might have no idea what actually happens after you decide to apply. Here’s a simple breakdown.   Step 1: You decide to apply It sounds obvious, but this is where everything...

Read more

From MPCT Teesside to 3 PARA — an outstanding achievement and an inspiration to future learners!

MPCT Teesside is incredibly proud to celebrate the achievements of former learner Dominic Thirwell, who has gone from strength to strength since beginning his journey into the British Army. During his training at the Army Foundation College (AFC) Harrogate, Dominic had the honour of meeting His Majesty King Charles III and was recognised as the...

Read more

Find Your Force: Army, Royal Navy, RAF or Royal Marines?

If you’re thinking about a career in the Armed Forces, you might already have one of them in mind, or you might have absolutely no idea and that’s completely normal. Each service offers different careers, environments and experiences. So which one could be right for you? Army If you like being active, working outdoors and...

Read more

What Fitness Level Do You REALLY Need to Join the Armed Forces?

Think you need to be ridiculously fit before you can even think about joining the Armed Forces? The good news is that you don’t need to be an Olympic athlete, but you do need to be prepared to work on your fitness. If you’re starting from scratch, here’s what you actually need to know. First...

Read more

Could You Survive a Day in the Armed Forces? 10 Things Need to Know

If you’ve ever watched an Army documentary, played a military game or thought about a career in the Armed Forces, you might have wondered what life is actually like. Is it really as tough as people make out? What do you do all day? And would you actually enjoy it? The truth is, military life...

Read more