Ashley McCaul is currently Chief Executive of London work-based learning provider Skills for Growth/Landmark. Skills for Growth/Landmark are a significant provider of Apprenticeships and Foundation learning across nine boroughs of south and east London. Ashley has over 15 years experience working within post- 16 education in both the public and charitable sectors.

Prior to taking on the CEO role at Skills for Growth/Landmark Ashley held a range of posts within Training and Enterprise Councils, Learning & Skills Council and the Learning and Skills Development Agency. Her various roles have seen her contributing to the development of government policy and leading on quality improvement initiatives across the sector. She designed and delivered a national Quality Improvement Network for Work Based Learning Providers in 9 National regions during her time with LSDA, and worked on Contract and Quality Management (including pre and post inspection support) in her role at the LSC.

Ashley was elected by her peers to the role of vice-chair of the London Work-based Learning Alliance, Chair of the London-east provider network in 2008 and elected Chair of the AELP Foundation Learning Group in December 2011. In each of these roles Ashley acts as an advocate for work-based learning providers both regionally and nationally, seeking to ensure that learner access, experience and success, remain the focus of policy development and implementation in the post- 16 sector.

Ashley’s passion for the development of young people has driven her career, working early on as a youth worker her key priorities have remained unchanged as she seeks to eradicate the barriers which prevent young people from accessing the labour market and achieving economic sustainability.

June 2012

David spent more than 8 years in arm’s length bodies, firstly six and a half years in the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and two years in the Young People’s Learning Agency. He had been Acting Head of Policy and Planning in LSC London East in 2006 when he transferred to national LSC and has worked across policy and strategy for all ages. He has worked on Foundation Learning policy for young people at a national level since November 2009. David joined the Department for Education as part of the Education Funding Agency in April 2012. 

David brings a wealth of delivery experience to his role, having previously worked in an FE College, an HE institution, a local authority worked based learning provider and with Connexions.

Prior to working in the education and skills sector, David was an award winning financial journalist, author, publishing intermediary and a PR consultant.

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.