Speakers
Stewart Segal - Conference Chair
Chief Executive
Association of Employment and Learning Providers
Stewart Segal was appointed to the role of AELP Chief Executive in July 2013. He has worked in the funded work based learning sector for over 20 years and in particular has supported AELP since its formation.
Previously, Stewart worked as an independent consultant within the training sector, working with a number of training providers and colleges specialising in business development and funding issues. Following a background in HR and general management in the private sector Stewart, joined Hertfordshire TEC in 1994 as Chief Executive. He also worked at the TEC for 4 years prior to joining Spring Skills as Chief Executive in 1998. Spring Skills was then the largest independent training provider in the sector involved in the delivery of a range of programmes in the service sectors such as retail, customer services, hospitality and business administration.
Stewart is also a Director of the Talent Foundation a not for profit network of organisation committed to the development of talent at work.
Martin Dunford OBE
Chief Executive, Skills Training UK and Chairman of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP)
Skills Training UK is a Prime Contractor to DWP for the Troubled Families Programme, which Skills Training has branded Progress! It also holds two Prime Contracts for the Youth Contract, for 16-17 year old NEET’s, with the Education Funding Agency (EFA). Skills Support for the unemployed, the Study Programme and Traineeships for young people and large scale Apprenticeship provision make up the rest of the current delivery portfolio.
Skills Training delivers directly and through strong supply chains and in January 2013 was the first and to date the only organisation to achieve the Merlin Standard highest grade of Excellent, for its supply chain design, performance management and partnership working.
Previously Martin was the Chief Executive of the Training and Business Group (TBG Learning) which during his time there, from small beginnings grew to become one of the largest organisations delivering both skills and employability provision in the UK.
After University Martin began his career in education, teaching science to overseas students in Oxford. He then moved into international sales and marketing, product and business development of high value, hi-tech scientific instrumentation; a demanding industrial market where competitive advantage is achieved via fast paced continuous improvement. Whilst working in this market he gained his MBA. Martin is a founder member and is now in his ninth year as Chairman of The Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP), a period in which the organisation has grown considerably in size and influence.
He was a member of the Steering Group of The End to End Review of Modern Apprenticeships and also a member of the advisory panel to Sir Andrew Foster (The Foster Review of FE). In 2004 he was appointed to the Board of the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA), and later the Board of the Quality Improvement Agency (QIA), chairing its Finance Committee. Martin is a current member of the Apprenticeship Ambassadors’ Network (AAN) and the BIS Further Education and Skills Ministerial Advisory Panel. Martin was awarded an OBE in the 2010 New Year Honours List for services to skills training.
Jill Whittaker FCA
Managing Director
HIT Training
Jill was appointed Managing Director in September 2012 to take charge of HIT’s day to day operations at a senior and strategic level. The Board of Directors collectively has more than 100 years’ experience in work-based learning.
As Managing Director, Jill’s responsibilities are to ensure that the company continues to grow and operate profitably, and that it achieves learner completion rates that are substantially higher than its competitors. An on-going challenge is to ensure that HIT Training continues to help employers increase the effectiveness and profitability of their staff, and that it develops learners’ personal, economic and social status through the delivery of relevant, valued apprenticeships in an industry which despite currently experiencing exceptional growth in all sectors, also reports significant skills gaps at all levels.
Under Jill’s management HIT is financially profitable, commercially successful and has maintained a high profile in both the hospitality and the work based learning industries. HIT is a good specialist training provider, this is borne out by OFSTED inspections.
Jill gained her professional qualification as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young, and is a Fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and the Hospitality Professionals Association (HOSPA).
Jill was educated at Kingsbury School, Warwickshire and Coventry University. She gained her professional qualification as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst and Young and is a fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the Hospitality Professionals Association.
David Russell
Director – Closing the Gap policy family
Department for Education
David has been Director of Participation and Vocational Education in the DfE since January 2012. His principal responsibilities are:
David joined the Education department in 1998, and was appointed to the Senior Civil Service in 2004. His previous posts have straddled schools and adult skills policy, including Academies performance, the Skills Strategy and reform of the school curriculum.
David Phillips
Managing Director
Pearson Work Based Learning and Colleges
David is Managing Director of Pearson Work Based Learning and Colleges.
Pearson Work Based Learning and Colleges provides services and solutions to meet the needs and demands of today’s workplace. Working with and supporting training providers, colleges and employers, our focus is to help learners make progress in their lives through learning and to help businesses grow by developing a skilled and engaged workforce.
David held roles in Emap, The Financial Times Group and RM Plc before joining Pearson in April 2006 as UK Sales Director for the Publishing business. In January 2010, David became UK Sales Director for Pearson Schools and Colleges with responsibility for the company’s curriculum managers, sales professionals and education specialists.
Jo Bradford
National Qualifications Manager
Spirit Pub Company
Jo’s hospitality expertise began 23 years ago as a Red Coat at Butlins, on the back of 4 weeks work experience as part of her BTEC in Travel & Tourism, studied at Burton Technical College.
A YTS Scheme at a travel agents inspired Jo to a career in hospitality through the attraction of warmer climes with Thomson Holidays. 10 years and 8 countries later Jo returned to her home town, the brewing capital and home to Marmite, Burton-on-Trent.
Jo has been National Qualifications Manager at Spirit since March 2012, though joined the pub giant in 2005 as part of the menu development team for Chef & Brewer and successfully rolled out the new Wacky Warehouse Coffee Corner offer to all 71 Wacky’s.
Jo became responsible for all qualifications delivered at Spirit Pub Company, from Level 1 to Level 7 in 2012.
Jo is responsible for Spirit’s ‘Young Person’s Strategy’ and does this through managing the quality of provision and growth of a fully embedded apprenticeship programme, inspiring young people into work through Teen Spirit Work Inspirations programme, engages school leavers with the School Leavers Trainee Managers programme and attracts high potential individuals with the Trainee General Manager Graduate programme.
Jo has two young children, aged two and three, who love ‘going to the pub’, which has it’s moments of awkwardness, but no better feedback about our business than from the children. Being the daughter of an engineer, Jo grew up in Zambia, Central Africa, so no surprises that travel to warm destinations features regularly in the Bradford household.
Stephen Gardner
Chief Executive Officer
Fair Train
Stephen is CEO of Fair Train, the Group Training Organisation of the Third Sector.
A passionate believer in apprenticeships and work based learning, Stephen was an Apprentice with Rolls Royce Aero Engines in Coventry before moving into education management with Tile Hill College.
As national Director of Apprenticeships with the Learning and Skills Council, Stephen oversaw a significant improvement in the quality and volumes of apprenticeships in England.
In 2008 Stephen moved to Rathbone, a national charity specialising in helping those whose school career had left them needing additional help to succeed. Joint Founder of Fair Train in 2009, Stephen now works solely for the Charity which awards the national Quality Standards for Work Experience.
Paul Warner
Director of Employment and Skills
Association of Employment & Learning Providers
Having been a specialist recruitment consultant to the defence industry for six years, Paul started in the post-16 sector in 1993 working on Training for Work contracts for TBG Learning. He subsequently took on a variety of related operational and senior management roles, culminating in a successful tenure as Director of Business Development.
On leaving TBG he worked as a consultant for a time, including a spell managing WBL delivery at Barking College in East London, before joining AELP in September 2003 where he now oversees all aspects of operational and policy delivery, particularly concentrating on the alignment of the skills and employability agendas.
Paul holds a First Class Honours degree in International Relations from the University of Keele, and an MA in Post-Compulsory Education and Training from the University of Sheffield. He is a Director of the Institute of Employability Professionals and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Married with one daughter, hailing from the New Forest but living in Essex, he lists his hobbies as rock music, amateur dramatics and karate.
Dr James Rees
Research Fellow
University of Birmingham
James is a Research Fellow at the Third Sector Research Centre at the University of Birmingham, UK. His research concentrates on transformations in UK public services especially the role of the third sector. Recent research at TSRC has examined cross-sector partnerships for public service delivery; the role of the sector in employment services, and the implications of new commissioning arrangements. He also has long-standing research interests in urban and regional governance, neighbourhoods and community.
Gavin Freed
Chief Executive
esg
Gavin was appointed as CEO of esg. in September 2010, and until 2012 was also CEO of fellow group company Paragon Skills which he joined in May 2007. Gavin’s role within esg focuses on managing the executive team in its achievement of the operational and strategic business objectives of the company, including maximising the opportunities for converging its skills and employment delivery.
A Chartered Accountant by profession, Gavin’s previous roles have included ten years in the IT industry, gaining experience with global organisations such as IBM and also private equity backed technology businesses; elata as CEO and Civica plc as Group Business Development Director. Gavin represents esg on a number of thought leadership panels for AELP and ERSA.
Peter Davies
Interim Chief Executive
The Education and Training Foundation
Peter Davies was appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer for the Education and Training Foundation in September 2013.
Peter Davies was the Principal and Chief Executive of City Lit from 2004 until 2011, following a 35 year career in the Royal Navy.A submarine engineer officer by background, during his last three years in the Royal Navy, as a Rear Admiral, he was responsible for all Naval recruiting, education and training.
At City Lit he managed the completion and move to City Lit's brand new building in Covent Garden, and led the college during a very successful period of growth, diversification of income and quality improvements leading to an Grade 1 Outstanding Ofsted inspection in 2011 and a 'Silver' Investors in People in 2010.
Other past activities included being a member of the Engineering Council (UK), a Governor of an FE College and a school, a fellow of the Institute of Electrical Engineering and membership of numerous FE sector committees and groups. Married with two grown up children, Peter is a keen swimmer and yacht sailor.
Jenny Williams
Director of Vocational Education and Training
The Education and Training Foundation
Jenny has over 20 years’ experience of developing policy and practice in further and adult education and training locally, regionally and nationally. Prior to transferring to the Education and Training Foundation, she led the work of the Commission on Adult Vocational Teaching and Learning and authored the Commission’s report It’s about work… Excellent adult vocational teaching and learning. Before joining LSIS in 2010, Jenny managed the NIACE Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning and co-authored two of the Inquiry’s supplementary research papers; on public and private investment in adult learning, and work and learning.
At local level, Jenny started her career at Dorset Training and Enterprise Council, before moving to Southampton to manage the City’s adult and community learning service. She also spent 4 years as NIACE’s regional development officer for the South East, promoting adult learning in the context of economic and social priorities, and led a £1.8 million ESF co-financed project to develop a network of learning communities with public, private and third sector partners.
Matthew Coffey HMI
National Director, Further Education and Skills
Regional Director, South East England
Ofsted
Matthew joined Ofsted in April 2007 following the merger with the Adult Learning Inspectorate where he was an Inspection Manager with national responsibility for the inspection of prison education. In the 10 months prior to the formation of new Ofsted, Matthew was the lead officer within the Creating New Ofsted programme for workforce and organisational structure. He joined the new Ofsted as an Assistant Divisional Manager and was promoted to Regional Divisional Manager in November 2007 with responsibility for Education, Learning and Skills across the Midlands region. Appointed as Regional Director in 2008, Matthew was responsible for all Ofsted operations across the Midlands. Matthew was appointed Director, Development, Learning in April 2011, and in January 2012 was given the title National Director, Further Education and Skills. Under Ofsted’s new regional structure, which began 1 January 2013, Matthew has been given the additional role of Regional Director, South East England.
Previously Matthew’s career began in the delivery, management and quality assurance of vocational and employment skills training and education in the post-16 sector. He has held senior management positions within post-16 education providers, a national awarding body and a sector subject National Training Organisation. He was a Senior Inspector in the Training Standards Council.
Tim Dawkins
Deputy Director for Business Development
NCFE
Tim has held the position of Deputy Director of Business Development at NCFE for over a year and is responsible for NCFE’s new product development, marketing and sales operations. Prior to this role he held the post of Marketing Manager at NCFE for 6 years.
Newcastle based NCFE is currently one of the fastest growing Awarding Organisations in the UK, with its 450 different vocational qualifications being delivered by over 2000 training centres and Further Education Colleges nationally. Last year over 600,000 learners took NCFE nationally recognised qualifications. Tim has been involved in the development of NCFE’s service ethos which has set new standards for customer service in the sector.
Tim has worked with NCFE through a period of substantial growth, developing a new brand and overseeing the development of new qualification types. NCFE now offer Apprenticeships in 50 different subject areas with a range of free resources available to centres, these are being used by Independent training providers and colleges across the country. A recent new development is NCFE ‘V Certs’ (Vocational Certificates) which are part of the new standards for vocational qualifications for 14 – 16 year olds.
Tim has worked in Marketing and Business Development for over 20 years in both private and public sectors, covering all aspects of marketing from research and business planning through to media relations, corporate identity and creative production. From 2005 – 2009 he was Account Director for Marketing Agency Adessi Ltd, working as a consultant to a number of clients in the North of England. Before this he worked for the government’s Sure Start programme marketing the Early Years and Childcare initiatives across the North East.
Telephone: 07946 070960
E-mail: timdawkins@ncfe.org.uk
Karen Woodward
Interim National Director
NAS
Karen was born and brought up in Bootle, Merseyside.
The majority of Karen's career has been in the Public Service Sector/quasi public sector, including the Inland Revenue, Department for Employment and the Manpower Services Commission. She has worked in a variety of senior director positions in both strategic and operational positions.
Karen has worked as Executive Director of an Enterprise Agency offering support to start up and micro businesses and directed a complete turnaround in the organisation's profitability.
In March 2001, Karen joined the LSC in Derbyshire as Head of Employer and Schools Liaison. She was instrumental in helping Derbyshire secure one of the first ever Employer Training Pilots in the Country which was the pre-cursor to the Train to Gain service.
In April 2006, Karen took up the role of the Director of Regional Skills in LSC East Midlands, leading work on the development and delivery of skills provision to meet the needs of employers, learners and communities to improve prosperity for all. This included an interesting secondment to LSC National Office as the Director for Skills for Employers, responsible for the LSC’s national policy work on Train to Gain and Sectors.
Karen was the Divisional Apprenticeship Director for the Central Division – covering the East Midlands, West Midlands and East of England and has now been appointed as the National Director of Apprenticeships and leads the National Apprenticeship Service senior management team...
When not in work, Karen enjoys a good murder (well reading about it), following the exploits of her favourite football team, Everton, and an active family life.
Chris Luty
Chief Executive
bctg
With over 25 years experience in education and training Chris has been Chief Executive of bctg since it’s inception in 2001; having worked previously for a number of local and national training providers. Chris has developed bctg from an informal local provider network into a significant Lead Provider with regional and national reach.
He currently heads up the group with SFA and EFA contracts of around £12 million which includes ESF NEET provision, apprenticeships for young people and an adult skills budget of around £9 million. Bctg also runs an Apprentice Training Agency, The Apprenticeship Works which is one of a small number of NAS re-approved ATA’s in England.
Chris’ interests outside of training include running another BCTG subsidiary – The Birmingham Brummies speedway team.
Jo North - Panel Member
Executive Director
In Touch Care
Jo has been a Director of AELP since it was launched, having previously been a Director of NTF.
She has chaired the AELP Health, Social Care and Child Care Meetings for 18 years and has a very high profile in the sector. As well as having a tremendous passion for her own sector, Jo prides herself in her total commitment to education and training and strives to make a difference using the benefit of her 53 years experience for not only for the clients being cared for but also by supporting employers, her colleagues and all learners be they within her own company or externally. Peer review activity is also a keen focus of many activities undertaken by Jo to share best practice in a whole range of situations.
Jo launched In Touch Care in Sheffield in 1994. She and her husband David own the company with the prime focus being to deliver high quality programmes in Health, Social Care and Child Care. Jo obtained her BEd Honours whilst furthering her own studies in Nursing/Nurse Education and she has maintained her commitment over many years to make changes through education and training by leading national teacher training.
Stewart Segal - Conference ChairChief Executive
Association of Employment and Learning Providers
Stewart Segal was appointed to the role of AELP Chief Executive in July 2013. He has worked in the funded work based learning sector for over 20 years and in particular has supported AELP since its formation.
Previously, Stewart worked as an independent consultant within the training sector, working with a number of training providers and colleges specialising in business development and funding issues. Following a background in HR and general management in the private sector Stewart, joined Hertfordshire TEC in 1994 as Chief Executive. He also worked at the TEC for 4 years prior to joining Spring Skills as Chief Executive in 1998. Spring Skills was then the largest independent training provider in the sector involved in the delivery of a range of programmes in the service sectors such as retail, customer services, hospitality and business administration.
Stewart is also a Director of the Talent Foundation a not for profit network of organisation committed to the development of talent at work.
Martin Dunford OBEChief Executive, Skills Training UK and Chairman of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP)
Skills Training UK is a Prime Contractor to DWP for the Troubled Families Programme, which Skills Training has branded Progress! It also holds two Prime Contracts for the Youth Contract, for 16-17 year old NEET’s, with the Education Funding Agency (EFA). Skills Support for the unemployed, the Study Programme and Traineeships for young people and large scale Apprenticeship provision make up the rest of the current delivery portfolio.
Skills Training delivers directly and through strong supply chains and in January 2013 was the first and to date the only organisation to achieve the Merlin Standard highest grade of Excellent, for its supply chain design, performance management and partnership working.
Previously Martin was the Chief Executive of the Training and Business Group (TBG Learning) which during his time there, from small beginnings grew to become one of the largest organisations delivering both skills and employability provision in the UK.
After University Martin began his career in education, teaching science to overseas students in Oxford. He then moved into international sales and marketing, product and business development of high value, hi-tech scientific instrumentation; a demanding industrial market where competitive advantage is achieved via fast paced continuous improvement. Whilst working in this market he gained his MBA. Martin is a founder member and is now in his ninth year as Chairman of The Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP), a period in which the organisation has grown considerably in size and influence.
He was a member of the Steering Group of The End to End Review of Modern Apprenticeships and also a member of the advisory panel to Sir Andrew Foster (The Foster Review of FE). In 2004 he was appointed to the Board of the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA), and later the Board of the Quality Improvement Agency (QIA), chairing its Finance Committee. Martin is a current member of the Apprenticeship Ambassadors’ Network (AAN) and the BIS Further Education and Skills Ministerial Advisory Panel. Martin was awarded an OBE in the 2010 New Year Honours List for services to skills training.
Jill Whittaker FCAManaging Director
HIT Training
Jill was appointed Managing Director in September 2012 to take charge of HIT’s day to day operations at a senior and strategic level. The Board of Directors collectively has more than 100 years’ experience in work-based learning.
As Managing Director, Jill’s responsibilities are to ensure that the company continues to grow and operate profitably, and that it achieves learner completion rates that are substantially higher than its competitors. An on-going challenge is to ensure that HIT Training continues to help employers increase the effectiveness and profitability of their staff, and that it develops learners’ personal, economic and social status through the delivery of relevant, valued apprenticeships in an industry which despite currently experiencing exceptional growth in all sectors, also reports significant skills gaps at all levels.
Under Jill’s management HIT is financially profitable, commercially successful and has maintained a high profile in both the hospitality and the work based learning industries. HIT is a good specialist training provider, this is borne out by OFSTED inspections.
Jill gained her professional qualification as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young, and is a Fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and the Hospitality Professionals Association (HOSPA).
Jill was educated at Kingsbury School, Warwickshire and Coventry University. She gained her professional qualification as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst and Young and is a fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the Hospitality Professionals Association.
David Russell Director – Closing the Gap policy family
Department for Education
David has been Director of Participation and Vocational Education in the DfE since January 2012. His principal responsibilities are:
|
David PhillipsManaging Director
Pearson Work Based Learning and Colleges
David is Managing Director of Pearson Work Based Learning and Colleges.
Pearson Work Based Learning and Colleges provides services and solutions to meet the needs and demands of today’s workplace. Working with and supporting training providers, colleges and employers, our focus is to help learners make progress in their lives through learning and to help businesses grow by developing a skilled and engaged workforce.
David held roles in Emap, The Financial Times Group and RM Plc before joining Pearson in April 2006 as UK Sales Director for the Publishing business. In January 2010, David became UK Sales Director for Pearson Schools and Colleges with responsibility for the company’s curriculum managers, sales professionals and education specialists.
Jo BradfordNational Qualifications Manager
Spirit Pub Company
Jo’s hospitality expertise began 23 years ago as a Red Coat at Butlins, on the back of 4 weeks work experience as part of her BTEC in Travel & Tourism, studied at Burton Technical College.
A YTS Scheme at a travel agents inspired Jo to a career in hospitality through the attraction of warmer climes with Thomson Holidays. 10 years and 8 countries later Jo returned to her home town, the brewing capital and home to Marmite, Burton-on-Trent.
Jo has been National Qualifications Manager at Spirit since March 2012, though joined the pub giant in 2005 as part of the menu development team for Chef & Brewer and successfully rolled out the new Wacky Warehouse Coffee Corner offer to all 71 Wacky’s.
Jo became responsible for all qualifications delivered at Spirit Pub Company, from Level 1 to Level 7 in 2012.
Jo is responsible for Spirit’s ‘Young Person’s Strategy’ and does this through managing the quality of provision and growth of a fully embedded apprenticeship programme, inspiring young people into work through Teen Spirit Work Inspirations programme, engages school leavers with the School Leavers Trainee Managers programme and attracts high potential individuals with the Trainee General Manager Graduate programme.
Jo has two young children, aged two and three, who love ‘going to the pub’, which has it’s moments of awkwardness, but no better feedback about our business than from the children. Being the daughter of an engineer, Jo grew up in Zambia, Central Africa, so no surprises that travel to warm destinations features regularly in the Bradford household.
Stephen Gardner Chief Executive Officer
Fair Train
Stephen is CEO of Fair Train, the Group Training Organisation of the Third Sector.
A passionate believer in apprenticeships and work based learning, Stephen was an Apprentice with Rolls Royce Aero Engines in Coventry before moving into education management with Tile Hill College.
As national Director of Apprenticeships with the Learning and Skills Council, Stephen oversaw a significant improvement in the quality and volumes of apprenticeships in England.
In 2008 Stephen moved to Rathbone, a national charity specialising in helping those whose school career had left them needing additional help to succeed. Joint Founder of Fair Train in 2009, Stephen now works solely for the Charity which awards the national Quality Standards for Work Experience.
Paul Warner Director of Employment and Skills
Association of Employment & Learning Providers
Having been a specialist recruitment consultant to the defence industry for six years, Paul started in the post-16 sector in 1993 working on Training for Work contracts for TBG Learning. He subsequently took on a variety of related operational and senior management roles, culminating in a successful tenure as Director of Business Development.
On leaving TBG he worked as a consultant for a time, including a spell managing WBL delivery at Barking College in East London, before joining AELP in September 2003 where he now oversees all aspects of operational and policy delivery, particularly concentrating on the alignment of the skills and employability agendas.
Paul holds a First Class Honours degree in International Relations from the University of Keele, and an MA in Post-Compulsory Education and Training from the University of Sheffield. He is a Director of the Institute of Employability Professionals and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Married with one daughter, hailing from the New Forest but living in Essex, he lists his hobbies as rock music, amateur dramatics and karate.
Dr James ReesResearch Fellow
University of Birmingham
James is a Research Fellow at the Third Sector Research Centre at the University of Birmingham, UK. His research concentrates on transformations in UK public services especially the role of the third sector. Recent research at TSRC has examined cross-sector partnerships for public service delivery; the role of the sector in employment services, and the implications of new commissioning arrangements. He also has long-standing research interests in urban and regional governance, neighbourhoods and community.
Gavin FreedChief Executive
esg
Gavin was appointed as CEO of esg. in September 2010, and until 2012 was also CEO of fellow group company Paragon Skills which he joined in May 2007. Gavin’s role within esg focuses on managing the executive team in its achievement of the operational and strategic business objectives of the company, including maximising the opportunities for converging its skills and employment delivery.
A Chartered Accountant by profession, Gavin’s previous roles have included ten years in the IT industry, gaining experience with global organisations such as IBM and also private equity backed technology businesses; elata as CEO and Civica plc as Group Business Development Director. Gavin represents esg on a number of thought leadership panels for AELP and ERSA.
Peter Davies Interim Chief Executive
The Education and Training Foundation
Peter Davies was appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer for the Education and Training Foundation in September 2013.
Peter Davies was the Principal and Chief Executive of City Lit from 2004 until 2011, following a 35 year career in the Royal Navy.A submarine engineer officer by background, during his last three years in the Royal Navy, as a Rear Admiral, he was responsible for all Naval recruiting, education and training.
At City Lit he managed the completion and move to City Lit's brand new building in Covent Garden, and led the college during a very successful period of growth, diversification of income and quality improvements leading to an Grade 1 Outstanding Ofsted inspection in 2011 and a 'Silver' Investors in People in 2010.
Other past activities included being a member of the Engineering Council (UK), a Governor of an FE College and a school, a fellow of the Institute of Electrical Engineering and membership of numerous FE sector committees and groups. Married with two grown up children, Peter is a keen swimmer and yacht sailor.
Jenny Williams Director of Vocational Education and Training
The Education and Training Foundation
Jenny has over 20 years’ experience of developing policy and practice in further and adult education and training locally, regionally and nationally. Prior to transferring to the Education and Training Foundation, she led the work of the Commission on Adult Vocational Teaching and Learning and authored the Commission’s report It’s about work… Excellent adult vocational teaching and learning. Before joining LSIS in 2010, Jenny managed the NIACE Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning and co-authored two of the Inquiry’s supplementary research papers; on public and private investment in adult learning, and work and learning.
At local level, Jenny started her career at Dorset Training and Enterprise Council, before moving to Southampton to manage the City’s adult and community learning service. She also spent 4 years as NIACE’s regional development officer for the South East, promoting adult learning in the context of economic and social priorities, and led a £1.8 million ESF co-financed project to develop a network of learning communities with public, private and third sector partners.
Matthew Coffey HMINational Director, Further Education and Skills
Regional Director, South East England
Ofsted
Matthew joined Ofsted in April 2007 following the merger with the Adult Learning Inspectorate where he was an Inspection Manager with national responsibility for the inspection of prison education. In the 10 months prior to the formation of new Ofsted, Matthew was the lead officer within the Creating New Ofsted programme for workforce and organisational structure. He joined the new Ofsted as an Assistant Divisional Manager and was promoted to Regional Divisional Manager in November 2007 with responsibility for Education, Learning and Skills across the Midlands region. Appointed as Regional Director in 2008, Matthew was responsible for all Ofsted operations across the Midlands. Matthew was appointed Director, Development, Learning in April 2011, and in January 2012 was given the title National Director, Further Education and Skills. Under Ofsted’s new regional structure, which began 1 January 2013, Matthew has been given the additional role of Regional Director, South East England.
Previously Matthew’s career began in the delivery, management and quality assurance of vocational and employment skills training and education in the post-16 sector. He has held senior management positions within post-16 education providers, a national awarding body and a sector subject National Training Organisation. He was a Senior Inspector in the Training Standards Council.
Tim DawkinsDeputy Director for Business Development
NCFE
Tim has held the position of Deputy Director of Business Development at NCFE for over a year and is responsible for NCFE’s new product development, marketing and sales operations. Prior to this role he held the post of Marketing Manager at NCFE for 6 years.
Newcastle based NCFE is currently one of the fastest growing Awarding Organisations in the UK, with its 450 different vocational qualifications being delivered by over 2000 training centres and Further Education Colleges nationally. Last year over 600,000 learners took NCFE nationally recognised qualifications. Tim has been involved in the development of NCFE’s service ethos which has set new standards for customer service in the sector.
Tim has worked with NCFE through a period of substantial growth, developing a new brand and overseeing the development of new qualification types. NCFE now offer Apprenticeships in 50 different subject areas with a range of free resources available to centres, these are being used by Independent training providers and colleges across the country. A recent new development is NCFE ‘V Certs’ (Vocational Certificates) which are part of the new standards for vocational qualifications for 14 – 16 year olds.
Tim has worked in Marketing and Business Development for over 20 years in both private and public sectors, covering all aspects of marketing from research and business planning through to media relations, corporate identity and creative production. From 2005 – 2009 he was Account Director for Marketing Agency Adessi Ltd, working as a consultant to a number of clients in the North of England. Before this he worked for the government’s Sure Start programme marketing the Early Years and Childcare initiatives across the North East.
Telephone: 07946 070960
E-mail: timdawkins@ncfe.org.uk
Karen Woodward
Interim National Director
NAS
Karen was born and brought up in Bootle, Merseyside.
The majority of Karen's career has been in the Public Service Sector/quasi public sector, including the Inland Revenue, Department for Employment and the Manpower Services Commission. She has worked in a variety of senior director positions in both strategic and operational positions.
Karen has worked as Executive Director of an Enterprise Agency offering support to start up and micro businesses and directed a complete turnaround in the organisation's profitability.
In March 2001, Karen joined the LSC in Derbyshire as Head of Employer and Schools Liaison. She was instrumental in helping Derbyshire secure one of the first ever Employer Training Pilots in the Country which was the pre-cursor to the Train to Gain service.
In April 2006, Karen took up the role of the Director of Regional Skills in LSC East Midlands, leading work on the development and delivery of skills provision to meet the needs of employers, learners and communities to improve prosperity for all. This included an interesting secondment to LSC National Office as the Director for Skills for Employers, responsible for the LSC’s national policy work on Train to Gain and Sectors.
Karen was the Divisional Apprenticeship Director for the Central Division – covering the East Midlands, West Midlands and East of England and has now been appointed as the National Director of Apprenticeships and leads the National Apprenticeship Service senior management team...
When not in work, Karen enjoys a good murder (well reading about it), following the exploits of her favourite football team, Everton, and an active family life.
Chris LutyChief Executive
bctg
With over 25 years experience in education and training Chris has been Chief Executive of bctg since it’s inception in 2001; having worked previously for a number of local and national training providers. Chris has developed bctg from an informal local provider network into a significant Lead Provider with regional and national reach.
He currently heads up the group with SFA and EFA contracts of around £12 million which includes ESF NEET provision, apprenticeships for young people and an adult skills budget of around £9 million. Bctg also runs an Apprentice Training Agency, The Apprenticeship Works which is one of a small number of NAS re-approved ATA’s in England.
Chris’ interests outside of training include running another BCTG subsidiary – The Birmingham Brummies speedway team.
Jo North - Panel Member
Executive Director
In Touch Care
Jo has been a Director of AELP since it was launched, having previously been a Director of NTF.
She has chaired the AELP Health, Social Care and Child Care Meetings for 18 years and has a very high profile in the sector. As well as having a tremendous passion for her own sector, Jo prides herself in her total commitment to education and training and strives to make a difference using the benefit of her 53 years experience for not only for the clients being cared for but also by supporting employers, her colleagues and all learners be they within her own company or externally. Peer review activity is also a keen focus of many activities undertaken by Jo to share best practice in a whole range of situations.
Jo launched In Touch Care in Sheffield in 1994. She and her husband David own the company with the prime focus being to deliver high quality programmes in Health, Social Care and Child Care. Jo obtained her BEd Honours whilst furthering her own studies in Nursing/Nurse Education and she has maintained her commitment over many years to make changes through education and training by leading national teacher training.
