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What is the REAL story behind a4e?

every woman article states:

Emma set up her company A4e in 1991 initially to provide skills and employment training for workers made unemployed by the decline in Sheffield’s steel industry. She has since built A4e into a competitive public services company that delivers a range of services to, amongst others, the financially excluded and long-term unemployed. Today A4E turns over in excess of £100 million.

and

women speakers says:

ACTION FOR EMPLOYMENT

Action for Employment (A4e) was founded by top female entrepreneur, Emma Harrison, in 1991. It is a privately owned organisation offering employment, welfare, education, training and business support services to the public and private sectors.

Or

In the 1980s a small engineering training company was set up in Sheffield to take advantage of the Conservative government’s willingness to pour money into such companies for uncertain returns. The owner, Harrison, took his daughter, Emma, into the company, then quickly skipped to Germany. This part of A4e’s history has acquired the aura of legend. Emma Harrison was a young graduate, suddenly landed with a company to run, and an absent father who was busy draining it of money. In 1991 Emma renamed the outfit Action for Employment (quickly abbreviated) and set about making money. She remains almost the sole owner.

The breakthrough came with the Labour government’s New Deal programme. A4e rapidly became the “preferred bidder” for contracts to provide back-to-work training. Their success baffled their competitors, who knew they were putting in equally good bids. This led to rumours that it was Emma’s connections who were responsible. Someone high up in government, perhaps? A Sheffield MP name of Blunkett, maybe? But there was no evidence for this, and rival training companies went out of business as A4e prospered.

Thanks watching a4e!

The A4e Story
The A4e story, chapter one: Way back when.

In the UK, over 20 years ago, large numbers of Sheffield steelworkers began losing their jobs as their once proud industry started to decline. It was a social disaster.

We started A4e in order to provide the redundant workers with the training they needed to find work in other industries. And – the flip side of the coin – we were able to supply companies with newly trained and enthusiastic workers.

And now?

From our South Yorkshire beginnings, we’ve expanded quite a bit. And we don’t just mean to North Yorkshire. Our growth has been on a global scale. We’re now improving lives all over the world. As far away as Australia, in fact. “Doing well by doing good,” as our Chairman, Emma Harrison puts it.

No faceless multinational.

We’re much bigger than we once were, but our concerns are the same as ever. We still want to bring about social change. To help the disadvantaged. And to put equal opportunities into practice in away that others only pay lip service to.

a4e…