Faces of FuturU – Mark Story, Head of Learning Innovation

Faces of FuturU is a story series about our incredible team. We explore their motivations for joining, delve into the experiences they bring with them and understand a little more about what brings them joy at work. 

Mark Story is Head of Learning Innovation at FuturU, leading the teams responsible for building our great content and supporting our community on the platform.

Prior to FuturU, I worked at Newcross Healthcare for seven years and was responsible for the onboarding and ongoing development of 20,000 healthcare professionals, healthcare assistants, support workers and nurses. I have always been an advocate of finding better ways to train and educate people so I couldn’t be more excited about how FuturU is going to disrupt this process.

What initially attracted you to FuturU?

What I’ve witnessed in traditional healthcare training and education could be immeasurably improved through technology. Whether this is immersing learners in scenarios that they can practise in, consequence free, until they are familiar and competent without having the time limits of scheduled face to face training, or creating simulated situations that are rare in real life, or using technology to provide more accurate and objective feedback, there are huge advantages to providing such a service. This would be disruptive on its own, but to have a mission to offer this for free is, for me, a once in a career opportunity to be part of something truly amazing.

What particularly excites you about the future of FuturU?

I am particularly excited about the idea that there’s somebody out there, who doesn’t know it yet, perhaps a 16 year old going through their GCSEs or a busy, working parent who believes they have more potential than their current role but doesn’t have the financial means to do anything about it who is going to be our first learner through the nursing degree we are planning and building. Through FuturU they will be able to propel their career into nursing in a way that has never been done before. There will be hundreds and thousands or millions of people out there that will have their lives transformed as a result of what FuturU can deliver.

What about FuturU brings you joy?

FuturU’s mission as a whole brings me joy. It just does not feel like work coming here, it feels like something that I would just want to be involved in anyway. It’s challenging, there are some really hard problems that we’re trying to solve, but a really clear and good outcome that we’re trying to achieve. Every day is exciting because we’re moving that mission along in some way. I wake up on a Monday morning excited about what the day’s going to bring. It feels like a group of brilliant, talented people that are enjoying a challenge together.

What’s been your biggest learning moment since joining FuturU?

Learning how a startup works, especially a product company, has been a big learning curve for me. Building products that will enable us to create even more amazing content and learning experiences at speed over and over again has been a learning experience for sure.

Have you ever worked in healthcare prior to FuturU?

While I’ve never personally been a carer, I have met hundreds of nurses and carers in this role and previous roles and have had the opportunity to visit many care homes and organisations. I believe I have a good sense of what drives and motivates healthcare professionals and what the issues and challenges are in operating a business in the sector. Learning and skills are so central to people and organisations in the healthcare sector and I’m delighted to be involved in offering something of such value to such a valuable part of our society.

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn

Little by little: 8 Small habits to reduce your stress levels

Little by little: 8 Small habits to reduce your stress levels

Here’s eight small yet significant habits you can easily incorporate into your daily routine to help reduce your stress levels…
Becoming a Care Assistant: Which FuturU courses should you take?

Becoming a Care Assistant: Which FuturU courses should you take?

Decided to become a Care Assistant? Here are free FuturU courses to get you started. They’re all 100% free and…
‘Wow - this is a discovery!’: Inyene’s FuturU story

‘Wow - this is a discovery!’: Inyene’s FuturU story

Healthcare professional Inyene aspires to be the best caregiver she can be, and she’s using FuturU to help her get…
Free webinar: Understanding stress and the role of inner wellness

Free webinar: Understanding stress and the role of inner wellness

Our next CPD-accredited webinar is all about the causes of stress and the techniques you can incorporate into your routine…