Activate Learning and Puy du Fou sign Memorandum of Understanding

Two award-winning organisations, Activate Learning and Puy du Fou, have formed a working partnership aiming to provide new training and employment opportunities for local young people.

Activate Learning operates Banbury and Bicester College, located in Banbury, the largest college in north Oxfordshire, which currently offers more than 100 courses for 16-18 year olds and adults. Its stellar track record was solidified in 2022 with a Good Ofsted rating, where they were also found to be making a strong contribution to identify and meeting local skills needs.

Puy du Fou, the newly announced cultural and historical park proposed just north of Bicester aiming to open in 2029 once planning is consented and construction is completed, will deliver 2000 direct jobs and 6000 indirect jobs when it is fully operational.

The two organisations have formed a commercial relationship to work towards providing pre-qualified staff to work at the proposed Puy du Fou park.

Gary Headland, Chief Executive of Activate Learning, said:

“We are absolutely delighted to be partnering with such a prestigious organisation as Puy du Fou. This collaboration presents a wealth of exciting opportunities for our learners of all ages, underpinned by a thoughtfully co-designed curriculum that will deliver truly immersive and enriching experiences.

“At Activate Learning, we take great pride in preparing our students for successful careers, and this new partnership further strengthens our ability to do so. It also reinforces our role as a key anchor institution within the communities we serve in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and Surrey.

“This is a genuinely unique opportunity for our region. For a prospective employer of Puy du Fou’s calibre to engage with us so early in their journey is fantastic news; not just for our learners in Oxfordshire at Banbury & Bicester College, City of Oxford College, and Blackbird Leys Technology Campus, but also potentially for those at our campuses in Berkshire and Surrey.

“To ensure a trained workforce is in place by 2029, recruitment must begin in 2028, meaning close collaboration between our colleges and Puy du Fou will be vital. Given the breadth of our educational offer, we are confident that there will be a wide range of opportunities for our students to benefit from this profoundly important new relationship.”

Olivier Strebelle, Chief Executive of Puy du Fou said:

“We have found an excellent partner in Activate Learning. There is almost a perfect symmetry between the many job types Puy du Fou will require and the existing courses on offer at Activate Learning’s colleges, particularly Banbury & Bicester College, City of Oxford College, and Blackbird Leys Technology Campus. We need performers, engineers, digital and marketing specialists, hospitality staff, hotel and catering teams, animal welfare specialists, all manner of technicians, grounds staff and many more besides.

“We will work closely with Activate Learning and guarantee interviews for their students with the Puy du Fou team. Some of our early recruits will undergo additional training at our parks in France and Spain as well.

“Our thinking at all our parks is ‘recruit locally’. We are very focused on delivering local jobs for local people in Bicester and Banbury and the surrounding area.”

ENDS

Contacts:

Activate Learning – Caitlin Kelly at [email protected]

Puy du Fou – Nick Keable at [email protected] and 07710 062494

 

Notes to editors:

Activate Learning

  • Activate Learning is a forward-thinking education group working across further and higher education, schools, apprenticeships and training. We transform lives through learning
  • For more information visit https://www.activatelearning.ac.uk

Puy du Fou

  • Puy du Fou is a multiple award winning global phenomenon, operating beautifully landscaped parks with grand scale live theatrical shows all based on different periods of history
  • Beginning as an annual summer night show in 1977 in Vendee in France, it opened its first park there in 1989. It launched its second park near Toledo in Spain in 2021
  • Puy du Fou UK will submit its planning application for its new proposed UK park this summer aiming for planning consent in early 2026
  • For more information visit https://www.puydufou.com