Rich Fort

I teach on our (FE) electrical courses, drawing on a career that has taken me from apprentice to director of my own business to Deputy Head of School and now Senior Lecturer.  

Over the years, I have worked as a qualified and approved electrician, chargehand, lecturer, internal verifier/assessor, co‑ordinator, and business owner, and I still run a successful electrical contracting company. I offer my students first-hand knowledge of what it’s like to apply the theory across a wide range of real installations. I regularly invite professionals into my classes to chat to my students and offer training and other opportunities, including wholesalers, brands, and social media content creators.  

I was proud to receive awards such as Tutor of the Year, eFIXX Electrical College of the Year, and I hosted two ELEX Live shows. One of my students won a Birmingham Learner of the Year award. 

I’m also proud of my own professional journey, qualifying as an NVQ electrician, then progressing into teacher, assessor, and IV roles, continuing and ongoing CPD, running my own business for nearly a decade while taking learners out on jobs, completing my HNC with distinctions in all units, serving as a coordinator, then Deputy Head of School and now Senior Lecturer in Electrical Installation here at UCB.  

Students say my classes are fun and engaging, and my advice to new students is to be prepared to work hard and to enjoy their time at UCB.  

Outside of work, I enjoy baking, socialising, spending time with family, walking, and sport. I’m a football coach for under‑11 and under‑15 teams. 

One quote that sums up my approach is: “If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail.”