RADIO 4
Today
Lawrence Barton on apprenticeships, live on the Today programme
- On air
- 23 Jun 2020
- Audience
- 6M+ weekly listeners*
Case study · Lawrence Barton DL
From sector commentator to BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, in two years.
We turned a business leader's sector knowledge into a BBC Radio 4 Today Programme interview, 66 pieces of coverage and 3.8 million readers reached, making him the FE sector's most-quoted voice on apprenticeship reform.
66
pieces of coverage
29
outlets and editions
21
pieces in FE Week and FE News
1
Today programme interview
Brief
The brief
The brief
Appointed in 2019, Bridgehead was tasked with establishing Lawrence as a recognised thought leader in the skills and further education sector, repositioning his public profile to better reflect his entrepreneurial and commercial expertise alongside his high-profile community leadership roles.
An entrepreneur, community leader and Deputy Lieutenant of the West Midlands, with extensive commercial experience in the hospitality and skills and training sectors.
Objectives
- 01Raise awareness of Lawrence's commercial expertise within the skills and training sector.
- 02Establish him as a credible commentator on apprenticeship and FE reform.
- 03Increase visibility among business and training sector stakeholders.
- 04Support new commercial and advisory opportunities.
The approach
How we approached it
A thought leadership-led media programme, placing regular opinion-led content and reactive commentary in sector media, built on Lawrence's expertise in skills and training reform.
01
Sector opinion platform
We placed Lawrence as a regular contributor to FE Week and FE News, the sector's two most-read publications, building name recognition among the training providers, colleges and policymakers he needed to reach.
02
National media step-change
As Lawrence's profile grew, we secured a BBC Radio 4 Today Programme interview alongside commentary in the Daily Express, taking his reform-focused views to a wider policymaking and business audience.
03
Personal website
We developed a dedicated personal website showcasing his commercial expertise, community leadership and policy knowledge, acting as a central hub for media enquiries and stakeholder engagement.
Coverage
The breakthrough
From sector commentator to BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, in two years.
Starting from a base of sector trade coverage, we built Lawrence's credentials systematically through FE Week and FE News, before pitching him as a national voice on apprenticeship reform. The BBC Radio 4 Today Programme interview, reaching 6 million weekly listeners, marked the moment his profile crossed from sector specialist to mainstream commentator.
The outcome
66 pieces, 3.8 million readers and listeners, and a skills entrepreneur the BBC, FE Week and Daily Express all call when apprenticeship reform is on the agenda.
The impact
- 01Online search for Lawrence Barton dominated by positive sector and national coverage.
- 02Established as a recognised commentator on apprenticeship and FE reform.
- 03Increased commercial opportunities among training providers and FE colleges.
- 04BBC Radio 4 interview reaching 6 million weekly listeners.
Headline placements
The pieces that made his name
Three FE Week columns under Lawrence's own byline, the Daily Express, Reaction, and a live interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Each card opens the piece as it ran.
Columns by Lawrence Barton, guest contributor26 May 2019
Devolved budget could drag adult education out of the doldrums
Why handing the adult education budget to the combined authorities risked stalling before it began.
Read the column2 Aug 2019
Williamson has his work cut out if he's to get Britain's skills system up to scratch
The new education secretary's first test: money for skills has to come with reform of how it is spent.
Read the column18 Jan 2020
Apprenticeship take-ups suffer from pro-university data bias
Missed apprenticeship targets, traced to poor data on what a degree is worth against a technical route.
Read the column
- DA 56
Revealed: Training providers supporting new Nightingale hospital
- ReactionDA 56
Better Britain: How to solve the UK's productivity problem
DA 55
Show young people the vital role the social care sector plays to solve its acute skills crisis
*Weekly audience as given in the approved case-study copy.
Every piece
All the coverage
48 of the 66 pieces, drifting past on one row. Pause it with the button, or hover or focus a card; click any card for the piece itself. Every piece is listed in the index of coverage.
DA 45
UNITED KINGDOM
Premier Support Services enrols with UK Skills
DA 55
UNITED KINGDOM
UK’s leading provider of property management services announces partnership with top West-Midlands based apprenticeship training provider
DA 58
UNITED KINGDOM
UK’s leading property management service provider announces partnership with top West-Midlands based apprenticeship training provider
DA 57
UNITED KINGDOM
New training program launched from partnership
DA 95
UNITED KINGDOM
Thousands gather for Birmingham Pride
DA 89
UNITED KINGDOM
Massive party expected in city as 100,000 people to fill streets
DA 88
UNITED KINGDOM
Calls grow to pedestrianise Gay Village to tackle hate crime
DA 88
UNITED KINGDOM
211 fined in Gay Village as cars cover pavements on 'lawless' street
DA 88
UNITED KINGDOM
A champion of Brum nightclub's and bars during the night is named
DA 95
UNITED KINGDOM
Birmingham LGBT venues to boycott World Cup games
DA 49
UNITED KINGDOM
Pride director Lawrence Barton appointed as Birmingham’s first Night-Time Economy Champion
DA 17
UNITED KINGDOM
Lawrence Barton appointed as Birmingham’s first Night-Time Economy Champion
DA 88
UNITED KINGDOM
'Shameful homophobic incidents show struggle for equality far from over'
DA 36
UNITED KINGDOM
BID chairman suggests ways to hold on to Commonwealth Games legacy
DA 88
UNITED KINGDOM
Brum nightclub boss' urgent blueprint to save city's nightlife
DA 44
UNITED KINGDOM
Lichfield recruitment company launches new apprenticeship scheme
DA 57
UNITED KINGDOM
Leading national recruitment firm bolstering its own workforce with new apprenticeship scheme
DA 88
UNITED KINGDOM
This year's Birmingham Pride geared to be the most special yet
DA 90
UNITED KINGDOM
Covid: Birmingham Pride to go ahead following announcement of lockdown roadmap
DA 77
UNITED KINGDOM
Reading and Leeds festivals to return for 2021 following 'roadmap' announcement
DA 95
UNITED KINGDOM
Covid: Birmingham Pride postponed to September
DA 88
UNITED KINGDOM
City centre bars and restaurants 'want to open at 10pm' rather than close
DA 55
UNITED KINGDOM
Show young people the vital role the social care sector plays to solve its acute skills crisis
Birmingham UpdatesDA 46
UNITED KINGDOM
Southside 'StrEATery' gets the green light!
DA 95
UNITED KINGDOM
Birmingham Council 'late' over outdoor seating pleas
DA 88
UNITED KINGDOM
Desperate plea for outdoor dining in city as 'red tape put plans in jeopardy'
DA 69
UNITED KINGDOM
Fresh boost to Birmingham bars from new pedestrian zone
DA 73
UNITED KINGDOM
Long road to recovery for sector and economy, says hospitality boss
GaydioDA 47
UNITED KINGDOM
Breakfast with Emma and Dean, 6 July
DA 73
UNITED KINGDOM
Hospitality businesses 'must remain vigilant' after reopening
The Gay UKDA 65
UNITED KINGDOM
This Birmingham gay pub says Saturday's takings "in line" with an average weekend
DA 88
UNITED KINGDOM
Southside and Chinatown bars praise customers after trouble free night
DA 93
UNITED KINGDOM
Government issued with urgent warning over Britain falling behind in one job industry
DA 95UNITED KINGDOM
Today programme, BBC Radio 4: Lawrence Barton on apprenticeships
DA 90
UNITED KINGDOM
How will our nightclubs survive in a world of social distancing?
DA 39
UNITED KINGDOM
For the UK to have a vibrant functioning economy post-crisis Government needs to take a more creative approach to lockdown
DA 56UNITED KINGDOM
Revealed: Training providers supporting new Nightingale hospital
DA 45
UNITED KINGDOM
Southside BID director Lawrence Barton appointed Deputy Lieutenant of the West Midlands
DA 56UNITED KINGDOM
Deal to pay private providers with no course delivery for next 3 months
DA 56UNITED KINGDOM
How the FE sector is adapting to the coronavirus crisis
DA 95
UNITED KINGDOM
Coronavirus: Last night of the pubs as lockdown begins
DA 56UNITED KINGDOM
Apprenticeship take-ups suffer from pro-university data bias
DA 56
UNITED KINGDOM
Post-Brexit Britain needs skilled workers
Education ExecutiveDA 41
UNITED KINGDOM
Sajid Javid announces £400m further education funding boost
Handy Shipping GuideDA 49
UNITED KINGDOM
A rove around some of the smaller freight, shipping and logistics stories of the week
ReactionDA 56UNITED KINGDOM
Better Britain: How to solve the UK's productivity problem
DA 94
UNITED KINGDOM
Shameful homophobic incidents still show 'struggle for equality far from over' - Pride chief
DA 24
UNITED KINGDOM
Property Management Services Provider Announces Partnership With Apprenticeship Training Provider
The website
lawrencebarton.co.uk
A personal website for his commercial expertise, community leadership and policy positions, and the central point for media enquiries. The coverage feeds it: the placements above are filed on his Press page.
Designed and built with Root Studio
AboutThe Deputy Lieutenant appointment and the portfolio behind him.
BusinessSkills and apprenticeships, hospitality and manufacturing.
CommunityBirmingham Pride, Southside BID and the WMCA commission.
Skills & ApprenticeshipsHis positions on productivity, devolution, FE finances and funding reform.
PressThe coverage, filed by date, with a direct line for media enquiries.
Results
The results, 2019-05 to 2024-02
66 pieces across 1 country
Counts come from the coverage book, piece by piece. Audience figures are measured per outlet (Portal Coverage Builder, September 2026) and marked with an asterisk.
1
continent
1
broadcast hits
3.8M
estimated readers*
*audience reach and estimated readers, Portal Coverage Builder, September 2026. Portal Coverage Builder: one audience-reach figure per outlet domain (the maximum reported), summed across every domain; estimated readers is the sum of views across every piece. Figures reproduce the portal's own method exactly; a title that carries several pieces is counted once for reach (its highest reported figure) but every piece counts toward readers.
PIECES PER MONTH, 2019-05 TO 2024-02
The August 2019 spike of 7 pieces is the busiest month in the book. Months with no coverage stay at zero. 3 pieces carry no publication date, sit outside this chart and are marked undated in the index.
On air
1 broadcast and video item from 1 broadcaster in Manchester.
Gaydio, Manchester
“Breakfast with Emma and Dean, 6 July”
Broadcast, 6 Jul 2020
Index
Index of coverage
All 66 pieces, by outlet
28 outlets by pieces of coverage, each outlet's pieces newest first, headlines as published. Broadcast, video and print items are tagged; 3 pieces carry no publication date. Open the live coverage book
5 pieces · DA 95Thousands gather for Birmingham Pride · United Kingdom
27 May 2023
Birmingham LGBT venues to boycott World Cup games · United Kingdom
14 Nov 2022
Covid: Birmingham Pride postponed to September · United Kingdom
24 Feb 2021
Birmingham Council 'late' over outdoor seating pleas · United Kingdom
11 Aug 2020
Today programme, BBC Radio 4: Lawrence Barton on apprenticeships · United Kingdom
23 Jun 2020
1 piece · DA 77Reading and Leeds festivals to return for 2021 following 'roadmap' announcement · United Kingdom
24 Feb 2021
1 piece · DA 69Fresh boost to Birmingham bars from new pedestrian zone · United Kingdom
3 Aug 2020
2 pieces · DA 58UK’s leading property management service provider announces partnership with top West-Midlands based apprenticeship training provider · United Kingdom
5 Feb 2024
Leading national recruitment firm bolstering its own workforce with new apprenticeship scheme · United Kingdom
16 Aug 2022
7 pieces · DA 56Revealed: Training providers supporting new Nightingale hospital · United Kingdom
17 Apr 2020
Deal to pay private providers with no course delivery for next 3 months · United Kingdom
31 Mar 2020
How the FE sector is adapting to the coronavirus crisis · United Kingdom
27 Mar 2020
Apprenticeship take-ups suffer from pro-university data bias · United Kingdom
18 Jan 2020
AoC responds to chancellor's £400m FE funding boost · United Kingdom
31 Aug 2019
Williamson has his work cut out if he's to get Britain's skills system up to scratch · United Kingdom
2 Aug 2019
Devolved budget could drag adult education out of the doldrums · United Kingdom
26 May 2019
Gaydio
1 piece · DA 47Breakfast with Emma and Dean, 6 July · United Kingdom broadcast
6 Jul 2020
1 piece · DA 45Premier Support Services enrols with UK Skills · United Kingdom
6 Feb 2024
1 piece · DA 44Lichfield recruitment company launches new apprenticeship scheme · United Kingdom
16 Aug 2022
1 piece · DA 39For the UK to have a vibrant functioning economy post-crisis Government needs to take a more creative approach to lockdown · United Kingdom
7 May 2020
1 piece · DA 17Lawrence Barton appointed as Birmingham’s first Night-Time Economy Champion · United Kingdom
10 Nov 2022
1 piece · DA 95Coronavirus: Last night of the pubs as lockdown begins · United Kingdom
20 Mar 2020
1 piece · DA 93Government issued with urgent warning over Britain falling behind in one job industry · United Kingdom
1 Jul 2020
10 pieces · DA 89Massive party expected in city as 100,000 people to fill streets · United Kingdom
24 May 2023
Calls grow to pedestrianise Gay Village to tackle hate crime · United Kingdom
17 Jan 2023
211 fined in Gay Village as cars cover pavements on 'lawless' street · United Kingdom
4 Jan 2023
A champion of Brum nightclub's and bars during the night is named · United Kingdom
14 Nov 2022
'Shameful homophobic incidents show struggle for equality far from over' · United Kingdom
31 Oct 2022
Brum nightclub boss' urgent blueprint to save city's nightlife · United Kingdom
18 Aug 2022
This year's Birmingham Pride geared to be the most special yet · United Kingdom
3 Aug 2022
City centre bars and restaurants 'want to open at 10pm' rather than close · United Kingdom
25 Sep 2020
Desperate plea for outdoor dining in city as 'red tape put plans in jeopardy' · United Kingdom
11 Aug 2020
Southside and Chinatown bars praise customers after trouble free night · United Kingdom
5 Jul 2020
1 piece · DA 56Post-Brexit Britain needs skilled workers · United Kingdom
13 Sep 2019
14 pieces · DA 55UK’s leading provider of property management services announces partnership with top West-Midlands based apprenticeship training provider · United Kingdom
5 Feb 2024
Leading national recruitment firm bolstering its own workforce with new apprenticeship scheme · United Kingdom
16 Aug 2022
Show young people the vital role the social care sector plays to solve its acute skills crisis · United Kingdom
10 Sep 2020
Are we training enough people for our NHS? Episode 6: #SkillsWorld LIVE · United Kingdom
30 Apr 2020
Apprenticeship tutors step-up for frontline service to ensure Birmingham NHS Nightingale Hospital remains operational · United Kingdom
15 Apr 2020
£1.2 billion wasted on ‘fake apprenticeships’ - Sector Response to EDSK 'Runaway Training' report · United Kingdom
3 Jan 2020
Labour announces plans to “throw open the door” for adults to study and retrain throughout their lives · United Kingdom
12 Nov 2019
Lord Agnew now responsible for FE providers and Careers Strategy, with Chris Skidmore as joint Minister of State for the Department for Education · United Kingdom
12 Sep 2019
Chancellor of the Exchequer's speech detailing the Spending Review: sector response · United Kingdom
4 Sep 2019
Chancellor announces £400 million investment for 16-19 year olds’ education - Sector Response · United Kingdom
31 Aug 2019
Never been a better time to go into post-16 study #GCSEResultsDay2019 - Sector response · United Kingdom
22 Aug 2019
College Assistant Principal to join leading West Midlands #apprenticeship provider · United Kingdom
14 Aug 2019
Further education and #skills will be a big priority for this government, says Gavin Williamson · United Kingdom
2 Aug 2019
Boris Johnson pledges £100 million “retraining fund” to boost #apprenticeships and vocational qualifications · United Kingdom
8 Jul 2019
1 piece · DA 24Property Management Services Provider Announces Partnership With Apprenticeship Training Provider · United Kingdom
undated
1 piece · DA 94Shameful homophobic incidents still show 'struggle for equality far from over' - Pride chief · United Kingdom
undated
3 pieces · DA 90Covid: Birmingham Pride to go ahead following announcement of lockdown roadmap · United Kingdom
25 Feb 2021
How will our nightclubs survive in a world of social distancing? · United Kingdom
5 Jun 2020
(headline unavailable) · United Kingdom
undated
2 pieces · DA 73Long road to recovery for sector and economy, says hospitality boss · United Kingdom
7 Jul 2020
Hospitality businesses 'must remain vigilant' after reopening · United Kingdom
6 Jul 2020
The Gay UK
1 piece · DA 65This Birmingham gay pub says Saturday's takings "in line" with an average weekend · United Kingdom
6 Jul 2020
1 piece · DA 57New training program launched from partnership · United Kingdom
5 Feb 2024
Reaction
1 piece · DA 56Better Britain: How to solve the UK's productivity problem · United Kingdom
20 Jun 2019
1 piece · DA 49Pride director Lawrence Barton appointed as Birmingham’s first Night-Time Economy Champion · United Kingdom
11 Nov 2022
Handy Shipping Guide
1 piece · DA 49A rove around some of the smaller freight, shipping and logistics stories of the week · United Kingdom
2 Aug 2019
Birmingham Updates
1 piece · DA 46Southside 'StrEATery' gets the green light! · United Kingdom
14 Aug 2020
1 piece · DA 45Southside BID director Lawrence Barton appointed Deputy Lieutenant of the West Midlands · United Kingdom
1 Apr 2020
Education Executive
1 piece · DA 41Sajid Javid announces £400m further education funding boost · United Kingdom
3 Sep 2019
1 piece · DA 36BID chairman suggests ways to hold on to Commonwealth Games legacy · United Kingdom
9 Sep 2022
Heart and Capital Midlands News
2 pieces(headline unavailable) · United Kingdom social
18 Feb 2021
(headline unavailable) · United Kingdom social
18 Feb 2021
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