Meet the Team
Our mission is to ensure safe and secure futures for everyone to succeed in life and work
Meet Our LGBTQ+ and Gender-Diverse Senior Leadership Team
We are incredibly proud to introduce our senior leadership team, a dynamic and diverse group of individuals who bring unique perspectives, experiences, and talents to our business. Our senior leadership team is made up of passionate individuals who work together to deliver a high-quality provision and together embody our core values of integrity, investment, commitment, partnership, and excellence.
Gareth Fallows
Our Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer
Gareth Fallows
Gareth has worked within the skills and welfare to work industry since 1996, spending a number of years working within Further Education and welfare to work, delivering high profile regional contracts, such as Private Sector Led New Deal, Pathways to Work, The Work Programme, Community Work Placement and numerous Skills Funding Agency and DWP ESF contracts and Apprenticeships.
As a teenager, Gareth faced challenges because of his sexuality. Despite these obstacles, Gareth found safety and security within his LGBTQ+ community and further education, training as a secondary school teacher at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2001.
In 2008, Gareth, from Stoke-on-Trent, founded Acorn Training, now a large apprenticeships, skills, justice and employability provider employing close to 180 staff nationally. Gareth felt it was important for Acorn Training to be a safe and inclusive space for all communities, thus creating inclusive opportunities and breaking down engagement and motivational barriers. Gareth is passionate about equality in all factors and uses his own experiences to be well placed to fully understand the journey of LGBTQ+ individuals whilst continuing to understand and help other communities.
Gareth holds a Masters Degree in Local Economic Regeneration from University and completed a MSc in Local Economic Regeneration.
Sophia Franzen
Group Chief Operating Officer
Sophia Franzen
Group Chief Operating Officer
Sophia Franzen has worked in the Employability, Training and Justice Sector since 2008. Motivated and driven by roles pivotal to helping people in society; Sophia has successfully delivered a number of DWP, Skills and Justice contracts in her career to date.
In her role as Acorn Training’s Group Chief Operating Officer, Sophia ensures that the business is performance driven, with strong and robust core values to reflect the vision of Acorn Training founder, Gareth. Together with Gareth and the Leadership Team, Sophia works hard to ensure that quality is at the heart of the organisation; delivering the best possible support to the individuals and communities they serve.
Since joining Acorn Training in 2011, Sophia has helped to achieve rapid growth, diversification and innovation. Sophia now leads the team to break down barriers and deliver vital employability programmes, justice services, apprenticeships, skills and training courses across the country.
Sophia is also a keen traveller; seeking out adventures and fun with her family and friends.
Niki Freeman
Assistant Director of Employability & Justice
Niki Freeman
Niki has worked at Acorn Training for nearly 10 years with over 30 years experience in the industry. Niki is a hands-on leader with a broad knowledge and practical experience in Welfare to Work, Justice and Skills.
Niki is responsible for Acorn Training’s Justice and Employability delivery, she is passionate about supporting those most disadvantaged into employment and training. She is highly driven to contribute to improving all aspects of Equality and Diversity, recognising that E&D is more than just gender, race and ethnicity; it also includes people of different ages, sexuality, religions, physical and learning abilities, education levels and more recently, economic equality.
In her personal time, Niki’s two sons and grandsons are the focal point of her life. She appreciates a good motivational book to read but equally like nothing better than spending quality time with good friends. Niki is keen to build and support others both personally and professionally.
Siobhan Clegg
Group Assistant Director of Governance
Siobhan Clegg
Siobhan started with Acorn training in 2014 as a Business Manager and has since worked on employability contracts, audit, taking the lead on ISO and Matrix accreditation and more recently, making the move into skills and apprenticeships, and now commercial and corporate governance.
Siobhan has managed different contracts and geographies, changing roles and taking advantage of learning opportunities including achieving her assessors award, IQA award and operations manager apprenticeship standard.
She is passionate about supporting those in the most challenging sectors to learn new skills, making a difference to the communities that they work in and enjoys coaching her team to succeed, facilitating change and working in a cycle of continuous improvement.
In her spare time, Siobhan participates in archery, astronomy, going to gigs and festivals and spending time in the garden.
Craig McNaughton
Assistant Director of Skills
Craig McNaughton
Craig was appointed our Assistant Director for Skills from August 2024, following a successful period as the Head of Quality and Curriculum. Craig prides himself on ensuring that all our learners receive the best service possible, whether with ourselves or one of our partners. He enjoys seeing the positive impact our teams are having on the learners they are working with while also getting the opportunity to drive change so that we improve our offering further still, responding to feedback from stakeholders.
Craig enjoys working for Acorn Training as he believes it is a progressive organisation with a community focus and strong values which align with his own. Outside of Acorn Training, Craig is a parent to three children and coach of junior football. He also enjoys hiking, dining out, and travelling.
Lisa Levings
Head of HR & Finance
Lisa Levings
Head of HR and Finance
Lisa began her career at Marks & Spencer, rising from management trainee to Head Office buyer and later Marketing and Communications Manager, where she led campaigns, store layouts, and launched new product ranges still found on the High Street. After twelve years, she retrained in accountancy, becoming a manager serving diverse clients, before moving into education and charity leadership.
As Business and HR Director, and later Trust Operations and HR Director, Lisa has overseen end-to-end non-teaching operations, strategic planning, governance, and risk management for multi-million-pound budgets and hundreds of staff, driving performance improvements and organisational growth.
Outside of work, Lisa is passionate about gardening, wildlife, and the countryside, and is devoted to her five dogs.
Steve Want
Group Brand and Engagement Lead
Steve Want
Group Brand and Engagement Lead
Steve joined Acorn Training in July 2026, bringing more than 15 years’ experience across the education and adult skills sector. He has a strong background in brand development, marketing, design, communications, and stakeholder engagement, combined with a deep understanding of the sector and the audiences it serves.
As Group Brand & Engagement Lead, Steve supports all areas of Acorn Training, helping to promote our services, values, opportunities, and success stories through engaging marketing and communications activity.
Outside of work, Steve enjoys spending time with family and friends, walking the family dog, and exploring creative pursuits. He is proud to be part of the Acorn family, where the organisation’s commitment to inclusion, opportunity, and helping people reach their full potential closely reflects his own values.
Jill Sheffield
Head of Business Development – Sector Skills
Jill Sheffield
Jill started as a Business Development Manager for Apprenticeships before being promoted to Lead Business Development Manager and then to Head of Business Development – Sector Skills where she now leads a team of nine staff.
Jill and her team support both learners and employers in finding the most cost-effective way of upskilling existing staff and training new staff to progress within their career pathways across a variety of different funding streams. Jill has worked within the Work based learning sector for over 30 years so has a wealth of knowledge in Apprenticeship training and different contracts to give employers and learners the best experience.
Jill enjoys working for Acorn Training as the organisation is an inclusive and flexible employer allowing her to look after her grandson one day per week. Jill enjoys spending time with family and friends in her spare time.
Sam Mellor
Skills Contracts Operations Manager
Sam Mellor
Skills Contracts Operations Manager
Sam has been a part of Acorn Training since November 2019; during this period after starting as Head of Adult Skills, Sam has worked in various roles within the organisation such as Business Manager for Restart, Skills Performance Manager and now most recently Skills Contracts Operations Manager. Sam works with a team of Learner Engagement Officers who work in the communities to engage with potential learners to join our fantastic course options for all learners seeking to improve themselves. Sam and his team work alongside many local providers including Restart, the NHS, The National Careers service, local and national jobcentre partners, community groups and many more!
Outside of work Sam and his family like to go out with their pet Dachshund, enjoy days out & weekends away to different UK destinations out and eat out! Sam likes being part of the Acorn family because of the fit that the company’s culture & morals have matching his own of inclusivity & providing opportunities to as many people as possible.
Tom Ashton
Strategic Partnership Manager
Tom Ashton
Strategic Partnership Manager
Tom was appointed Strategic Partnership Manager for our Justice division in March 2023. Tom is extremely passionate about supporting participants in the justice system towards successful rehabilitation, having achieved a BA(hons) Criminology degree from the University of Leicester before starting his professional career. Tom prides himself on ensuring that all participants across our programmes are supported along their custodial journey, enabling them to access the available education, skills, and work-related opportunities, to build confidence, and increase sustainable employment outcomes during community reintegration.
Tom enjoys working for Acorn Training due to the way in which the company maintains its strong core values, which are kept at the heart of all delivery across the local communities it serves. Outside of Acorn, Tom is an avid sports fan who enjoys watching and playing football and cricket.
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