Ignite appoints Sorcha Murphy as new Business Development Manager

Ignite Sport UK is pleased to confirm Sorcha Murphy has joined our growing team as Business Development Manager to support the provision of apprenticeships nationally. 

Sorcha joins Ignite from Lifetime Training and has a strong track record delivering quality apprenticeship programmes to some of the UK’s most respected fitness, retail and hospitality brands.  

She also worked for CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) as an Apprenticeship Officer and has more than seven years’ experience in the sector.  

Born and raised in Oxford, Sorcha has a passion for all sports and used to play for Rose Hill based Oxford Irish FC. She explained overseeing and developing our growing list of apprenticeship programmes is a challenge she is looking forward to.  

“I’m very pleased to join Ignite Sport UK as part of its vision to train and develop members of staff in the sports sector both locally and nationally,” said Sorcha.  

“From my previous experience, I have established a good understanding and can appreciate the true power of apprenticeships and the impact they have on developing the skills of people of all ages.  

“Ignite Sport UK is passionate about nurturing new and existing talent in the sports sector to help businesses thrive as the country recovers from the impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic. It’s an exciting new challenge for me.”  

Demand for apprentices in the sports sector has boomed post-pandemic due to the need to support communities in encouraging people to be more physically active while improving employees’ job prospects.  

It’s why our apprenticeship programmes have expanded to include Level 3 Community Health Officer, Level 3 Digital Marketeer and Level 3 Junior Content Producer this year.  

Sorcha added: “Outdated associations with apprenticeships are now being left in the past. Apprenticeships are open to people of all ages and cover professions in all sectors.  

“It’s not true that you have to be young to start an apprenticeship – I’ve worked with apprentices in their 60s and 70s. Apprenticeships offer a great way for people to develop skills in their chosen career.  

“They can upskill current employees too and add great value to businesses by bringing in fresh faces, new ideas and motivated members of staff in a cost-effective way.  

“I look forward to seeing more apprentices reaching their full potential and climbing the career ladder with Ignite Sport UK.”  

Justin Merritt, Director of Ignite Sport UK, said: “Sorcha’s passion for apprenticeships and providing people with a platform to develop their skills is evident and we are pleased to hire her as Business Development Manager.  

“The best apprenticeships enable people to reskill or change career to accommodate long-term aspirations, Sorcha’s work will help make this possible. We’d like to welcome her to the team and wish Sorcha every success in her new role.”