Functional Skills Special Interest Group | Thursday, 12 May 2016
 
Speakers

Roger Francis (Chair)
Business Development Director
Creative Learning Partners

Roger Francis is Business Development Director. Previously, he was Director of Services and HR for Mindleaders for 9 years, reporting through to the CEO and playing a key role on the global Executive Management Team. In that role, he has made major contributions to the development and implement of strategies which enabled MindLeaders to become the No.2 global eLearning company (behind Skillsoft).

Whilst his main focus during the last 5 years has been on the development of the Learning Services business, he has also led the teams responsible for implementing MindLeaders solutions and providing post-implementation customer service. As HR Director, he played a pivotal role in the development of the unique MindLeaders culture by focusing on Talent Development and Employee Engagement strategies and embedding the company values throughout the business.

Prior to joining MindLeaders, Roger was a Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology at Sunderland University and spent 12 years in senior management roles at Whitbread, largely in Operations but latterly as a divisional Strategy and Marketing Director.


Carol Smith
Projects Manager English and ICT
bksb

Carol has over 15 years’ experience in designing and delivering Skills for Life, Functional Skills, Family Learning, Employability and Customer Service programmes to adults and young people aged 16 – 18. She is a fully qualified teacher and literacy specialist, and first joined bksb Ltd in February 2012. In December 2013, she was installed as bksb Ltd’s Projects Manager English, and is responsible for monitoring bksb English, ESOL, IELTS and international products. In addition to this, Carol develops and delivers training programmes at events and to individual customers.


Keith Donnelly 
Business Development Manager
Carillion 

Keith has been involved in construction work based learning for over 40 years. His experience includes managing the largest employer based apprentice training provider in construction, to representing the sector on a number of government committees, working parties and task forces. Keith is passionate about construction apprenticeship training and champions the involvement of employer based and independent providers in work based learning programmes. Keith is a member of the SFA technical funding and SAP/FETAG advisory groups, the Construction Skills Training and Skills Provision committees, as well as being the AELP Skills Champion for Construction.



Stella Turner
Head of Qualifications and Delivery
Association of Employment and Learning Providers

Stella is responsible for keeping a ‘watching brief’ on matters related to qualifications and curriculum development. She represents AELP on groups such as the Skills Funding Agency’s Qualifications Approvals and Governance Group and the BIS Vocational Qualifications Forum plus various Awarding Organisation Consultative Committees.
 
Since joining AELP Stella has managed a number of projects, including work related to the Qualification Credit Framework (QCF) Readiness Programme, Functional Skills Support, Unit Delivery Trials, the review of FE Teaching and Training Qualifications and the promotion of Higher Level Skills. More recently she has taken on responsibility for overseeing and managing work allocations within AELP’s delivery team. Stella has always worked in the education and training sector and has over 10 years experience of working for a work based learning provider.
 
As a Senior Training Manager for a large training provider in Bristol, she was responsible for a team of ten, overseeing and contributing to the design and delivery of a range of both government funded and commercial programmes including IT courses, Apprenticeships and NVQs in a variety of occupational areas. Prior to joining AELP Stella worked for the Awarding Body OCR as a Customer Support Manager. 


More speakers to be announced.