KBS Skills Academy CIC is the training arm of Ken Beard & Son Ltd, created to address the growing shortage of skilled tradespeople in the home renovation sector. Based in Wirral and serving the wider Liverpool City Region, the academy provides practical, industry-led training pathways that prepare learners for real careers in kitchens, bathrooms, and tiling installation.

KBS Skills Academy CIC was founded by professionals with backgrounds in construction, education, and business psychology. The leadership team brings together decades of experience running a successful fitted-interiors installation business with formal qualifications in teaching, assessment, and academic mentoring — including experience as NVQ assessors and former college tutors.

Drawing on postgraduate study in organisational and business psychology — and individual membership of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and Association for Business Psychology (ABP) — the Academy integrates evidence-based learning principles into practical, industry-led training. This ensures learners develop both technical competence and the professional behaviours essential for long-term success.

Rooted in real-world experience, KBS Skills Academy aims to raise standards in trade education, promote sustainable practices, and create inclusive career pathways within the fitted-interiors sector.

Our mission is to make skilled trade careers accessible, sustainable, and future-focused. We work with local employers, industry partners, and manufacturers to deliver training that meets real-world standards — combining hands-on skills with embedded learning in health & safety, digital tools, and sustainable practice.

Each of our modular courses provides a complete route into work or self-employment. Learners gain essential skills, experience genuine installation scenarios, and develop the confidence and professionalism employers value.

Through partnerships with organisations such as Fergus, Qettle, Ca’ Pietra, and Tavistock Bathrooms, KBS Skills Academy CIC connects learners directly to industry networks, product suppliers, and employment pathways — including access to the Qettle Approved Installer Network for graduates.

As a Community Interest Company, we reinvest our profits into supporting NEETs (young people Not in Education, Employment or Training) and adults seeking a practical route back into work. Our vision is to build a new generation of skilled, motivated tradespeople equipped to raise industry standards across the North West.

Our Leadership

KBS Skills Academy CIC was founded by Mal and Sarah, bringing together experience from construction, education, and organisational development.

Mal Beard has over 30 years’ experience in the fitted interiors and construction sector. He took sole leadership of Ken Beard & Son Ltd following the passing of his father, Ken Beard, having previously run the long-established family business alongside him.

Mal is also a qualified NVQ assessor and has delivered vocational training within further education settings, including teaching at HMP Liverpool. His experience ensures the Academy’s courses reflect the real standards, expectations, and practical skills required on professional installation sites.

Sarah brings expertise in business psychology, education, and workforce development. She is currently completing postgraduate study in Organisational and Business Psychology, applying evidence-based learning approaches to vocational education and skills development.

Alongside her work in industry, Sarah has experience in academic mentoring and education, supporting learners through structured mentoring and skills development programmes. Her work focuses on building confidence, problem-solving ability, and practical learning approaches that help people succeed in real-world environments.

Her work applying psychology within a construction and trade environment has been recognised by the Association for Business Psychology, where she is a finalist in two categories at the 2026 Workforce Experience Awards, with winners announced at a ceremony in June 2026. She has been shortlisted for Best In-House Business Psychology Practitioner in a Non-Psychology Business and Excellence in Transformation.

Sarah has also been recognised by CITB as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Construction – “One to Watch”, highlighting her work supporting the next generation of skilled tradespeople.

 Together, Mal and Sarah combine decades of real installation experience with modern education and psychology-led learning approaches, creating training programmes designed to prepare learners for genuine careers in the construction and home renovation industries.