Kaplan has a long and successful history in education. It has an enviable track record for not only rising to the challenge of changing demands from students, the market and the environment in which it operates – but for often leading the way. Creating success for its learners, customers and colleagues is at the heart of what the company does each day.

In the UK, this has seen Kaplan Professional (KPUK) grow from being predominantly a classroom-based teaching organisation for a small number of qualifications into a larger, diverse group of businesses. London-based Kaplan now trains 50,000 students and apprentices every year; publishes educational materials and resources; and designs and delivers assessments and qualifications.

Existing capability enabled most staff to work remotely during the coronavirus crisis. In-location activities were limited to those that could not be undertaken in any other way – such as the running of exams. This kept Kaplan locations safe due to the low volumes of people attending them, while enabling examination candidates to progress through their qualifications by sitting the tests.

The business also worked hard to keep its people feeling connected and up to date on how the company was doing, and to provide feedback from customers. To keep things relevant and meaningful, Kaplan suspended some key performance indicators and introduced temporary others.

KPUK involves and empowers its employees in decisions about their work. To help them build a successful career it invests in growing knowledge, providing paths for progression and in recognising and celebrating individual and collective achievements.