“It’s about making sure we understand what the customer needs.”
Hannah Bamford brings a broad view of apprenticeships and qualifications to her role at Skilltech Solutions. She has experienced the journey as an apprentice, a learning coach and an area manager with Lifetime Group, and is now bringing that understanding into her work with Skilltech customers, while also completing an Associate Project Management apprenticeship of her own!
Since joining Skilltech in March 2026, Hannah has thrown herself into helping customers get the most from their assessment platform, in a sector that never stands still. We caught up with her to talk about her route into assessment technology, what apprentices and trainees really need to succeed, the opportunities and challenges created by AI, and why, even as technology changes, she thinks Skilltech’s people-first approach is what will always set them apart.
Tell us a bit about how you joined Skilltech Solutions.
My background was in hospitality, and then I joined Lifetime Group as a learning coach in 2022. I loved it and was very good at it – I got the highest distinction rate in the sector in 2023.
I was then seconded into a role as an area manager. When the secondment ended, I was given the option of going back to being a coach or trying something completely different, and it was just one of those moments where I thought, “yeah, I’ll try something different.”
I went on to be an engagement lead and programme facilitator for a year, and during that time I started my apprenticeship. I got to the point where I was working on small projects, but I wanted somewhere I could expand on that a little bit more. That’s when the Skilltech Solutions job came up.
What is your favourite thing about your role at Skilltech Solutions?
Definitely the people. If you'd told me five years ago I'd have a remote desk based role in a tech company one day, I probably wouldn't have believed you, but as my career has evolved it feels right being here, and our ways of working mean I still get to interact with, and learn from, a diverse group of people across our customer base and within the team.
Everyone is very supportive, always available, and so welcoming.
What made you want to join this sector?
This step really was a result of all the different smaller steps over the last four years. I started doing little projects alongside all my roles within Lifetime Group, and I found a real love for them, realising I wanted to explore that area of my role more.
As I started doing my apprenticeship, I realised that the sector offers me a wider variety of projects of different lengths and complexities, while still being able to keep the customer interactions I love. I wanted to explore project work in more depth and develop those skills further.
This sector is always changing and growing, so there is that opportunity. There’s always growth, always change and always something going on to learn from.
You’re working in assessment software and completing your own apprenticeship. Does it help to have that perspective from both sides?
My first experience of apprenticeships was when I completed a Hospitality Supervisor Level 3 in 2019 and 2020, with my assessments happening right at the start of COVID, which was a wild experience!
Since then, I’ve experienced apprenticeships from so many different touchpoints and having those different perspectives does help. I understand more about the different parts of the learner journey and the support I might need from different people.
I’m not sure whether it was easier doing an apprenticeship when I didn’t really know everything that was happening behind the scenes, or doing one now that I am thinking about all the people involved. I think time will tell with this when I do get to the end of the journey!
I do feel incredibly lucky to have Libby as my manager. She understands so much about apprenticeships, makes sure I have the time and support I need, and knows how my personal achievements will benefit her and the team in the long run too. It's such a welcomed difference from that first experience where both my manager and I were working it all out as we went along.
What do you think would make it easier for more apprentices to start and complete their qualification?
I think it comes down to access to information, at every stage. If the apprentice and their manager don’t have enough information, it’s never going to be the smoothest journey. One of the things I love about Proficient is that AOs can add support materials that training providers, and even learners themselves, can access. They can log in and see that information straight away, so everybody involved has what they need at their fingertips.
Quite often, people think they’re doing something right but don’t necessarily have the confidence to ask. It's about making sure the learner, and everyone involved in their journey, is able to easily access the information they need to succeed.
What do you think are the biggest changes happening in the sector now?
I think AI is one of the biggest changes happening generally in society, especially when you work in technology. For Skilltech, we are exploring how we can use AI in what we offer, making sure it enhances everyone who uses our platforms' experience without removing the human touch that makes us so special.
There’s also the wider conversation around technology and AI, from continually developing legislation, to the public's concerns about data security and environmental impact. For us, it’s about keeping on top of what is changing, understanding what organisations want to do with the technology and making sure we approach it with the care and consideration we give to all our work.
What do you think makes Skilltech unique?
For me, it all comes back to the people. Even as the sector starts bringing more AI into systems we, the Skilltech team, are still here. There are real people here to answer the phone and support customers.
That runs all the way through the business. The developers and QA teams might not regularly talk to customers directly, but they take the feedback we bring to them and make things happen in a really attentive, personal way.
There is human contact throughout the whole process, making sure we understand what the customer needs, where the barriers are and how we can support them with training, development or anything else. I think that’s where we really shine and stand out.
What are your goals for your first year at Skilltech?
My biggest goal is to finish my apprenticeship! But I also want to build relationships along the way, get to know the customers and the team more, find my feet and settle in.
Are you looking for an AO or general awarding software that offers real, hands-on support throughout your journey with them? Then book a demo to see how Proficient or Accolade could be right for you.
