The Brightstar Group announces expansion of Young Learners Programme and strengthens National Accounts team

18 November 2025

The Brightstar Group has announced the expansion of its award-winning Young Learners Programme and new recruitment to strengthen its National Accounts team.

Building on the outstanding success of its award-winning Young Learners Programme, the Brightstar Group has recently employed Emma Burgess as its first Graduate Apprentice.

The Group has already provided 94 workplace opportunities for young people over the last three years, either through work placements, internships or through one-year undergraduate placement years, with some of these developing into full time employment opportunities.

The graduate apprenticeship is a new facet of this strategy and will support Emma through a three-year Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship in partnership with the University of Kent.

Clare Jupp, Chief People Officer at the Brightstar Group, commented:

“I am so excited about this latest addition to our Young Learners Programme. Emma is an outstanding young woman who is already adding value to the business and who promises to have an excellent future ahead of her. Our intention is to offer further opportunities in the future.”

The Brightstar Group has also announced the appointment of Jake Hancock as Internal Business Development Manager, a newly created role designed to provide dedicated support to the Group’s National Accounts team.

Jake will be based at Brightstar’s head office, working closely with Group Head of National Accounts, Andrew Cappaert, and Group National Account Manager, Lee Payne. His role will enhance the day-to-day support available to brokers and national account partners, helping to ensure fast, consistent communication and a more seamless service experience.

Jake brings with him over a decade of experience at Randstad Education, where he played a key role in managing client relationships and operational delivery.

Bradley Moore, Deputy CEO at the Brightstar Group, said:

“This is a big step forward for our National Accounts proposition. We’ve already seen the growth of specialist lending with increased business volumes right across the group this year. As we continue to grow our relationships with key broker firms and networks, having Jake in place will allow us to support this growth with even greater consistency and responsiveness.”