Richard Kirk

Richard is passionate about helping employers grow their own talent and making it easier for people to make informed career decisions.

Richard started Workplus in 2019 to help employers navigate the early talent space and diversify their talent pipeline through social value, school engagement, apprenticeships, academies and work experience.

Working closely with HR professionals, Workplus is a membership network in which employers can share knowledge, best practice and develop their ability to grow early talent. Workplus runs apprenticeship application campaigns on behalf of member employers, making it easier for employers and aspiring apprentices to connect. Workplus also partners with councils to offer coordinated work experience and apprenticeship recruitment campaigns. 

Richard is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and holds an MBA from Queen’s University Belfast. He is a member of the NI Chamber’s People and Skills Group, was a member of the IoD Skills Think Tank in 2024 & and the Department for the Economy’s Skills Strategy Advisory Group in 2022.