Monday 26 & Tuesday 27 June 2017

Novotel London West, Hammersmith

 

Speakers & Panel Members

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Day One Speakers & Panel Members

Each day will include a varied line-up of topical speakers and panel members.
Click an image for the speaker's information

 Martin Dunford OBE
AELP & Skills Training UK		  Mark Dawe
AELP 		 Keith Smith
ESFA		 Peter Lauener
Institute for Apprenticeships		  Shakira Martin
NUS		  Cindy Rampersaud
Pearson
 David Hughes
Association of Colleges		  Anthony Impey
Optimity and FSB		  Rob Colbourne
Performance Through People		  David Hill
Senior DfE Official		  Katie Nightingale BSc, MA, MCIPD
Kier Group		  Julie Hyde
CACHE
 Mike Smith OBE
Gen II		  Gordon Marsden MP
Shadow HE/FE & Skills Minister 		 Rt Hon Anne Milton
Minister of State at the Department for Education 		 Carl Creswell
Department for Education

Martin Dunford OBE

Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) and Skills Training UK

Martin is the Chairman of AELP and CEO of Skills Training UK. His company Skills Training UK is a significantly sized provider of bespoke Apprenticeship and Traineeship programmes, with a particular focus on individual and business improvement and has direct contracts with both the Skills Funding Agency and the Education Funding Agency for the Study Programme and Youth Contract for 16/17 year old NEETS.

After University, Martin began his career in international (Europe, Japan, USA) sales and marketing, product and business development of high value, scientific instrumentation; a demanding hi-tech manufacturing and industrial market where competitive advantage is achieved via rapid continuous improvement. Continuous or business improvement particularly in the STEM sector is at the core of Skills Training UK’s approach to work based learning and Apprenticeship delivery.

Martin is one of the founders of AELP and has been elected as its Chairman for each of the last thirteen years. Starting with a handful, AELP now has over 800 members.

Other appointments held include board membership of the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) and Quality Improvement Agency (QIA) where he was Chair of the Finance Committee. He was also a long standing member of both the Further Education & Skills Ministerial Advisory Panel and the Apprenticeship Ambassador’s Network.

Martin was awarded an OBE in the 2010 New Year’s Honours list for services to skills training.

Mark Dawe

Association of Employment and Learning Providers

Mark was appointed as the new Chief Executive of AELP in March 2016 succeeding Stewart Segal following his announcement to step down in January 2016. He is on the Board of WorldSkills Uk and the UfI Trust as well as a range of government boards such as the SFA / EFA advisory board and the DfE’s Apprenticeship Stakeholder Board.

Most recently, Mark Dawe was the Chief Executive of OCR, the exam board, for 5 years. He is currently a governor of a primary, secondary and further education college. Mark has a wealth of experience across a board spectrum in the education field. Prior to his role at OCR, Mark was Principal of Oaklands FE College having been Deputy Director and AELP Board Director, FE Strategy at the Department of Education and Skills and before that as Deputy Director, Adult Basic Skills Strategy Unit after joining the department in 2003.

Having read Economics at Cambridge University before qualifying as a chartered accountant at KPMG, Mark joined Canterbury College, becoming Head of Corporate Services in 1994. In 2000, he helped set up eGS, an e-procurement provider to the public sector.

Keith Smith

ESFA

Keith Smith has over 20 years of experience working in and around the education and skills system. He has worked in a variety of roles, from running local skills programmes to leading national projects. In recent years he has been leading the development and delivery of the national Further Education and Apprenticeship funding systems. Keith has been a Governor of a number schools and University Technology Colleges. He is currently the Programme Director with responsibility for implementing Apprenticeship funding reforms and the Apprenticeship Levy.

Shakira Martin

National Union of Students

Shakira Martin will become president of NUS from July 2017. She is currently finishing her second term as NUS’ Vice President Further Education where she has led on NUS’ work on Area Reviews and the Post 16 Skills Plan. Shakira received a diploma in education and training from Lewisham and Southwark College, where she was also the students’ union President. She is a single mother to two young girls.

Katie Nightingale BSc, MA, MCIPD

Kier Group

Having graduated with a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Human Resource Management, Katie progressed her career within generalist HR management and Learning & Development roles with various blue-chip companies across a number of sectors including, hospitality, automotive, rail, and now construction. Katie also gained experience working with an apprenticeship training provider both as an assessor and as a project manager supporting the implementation of apprenticeships within a number of leading hotels.

Katie was appointed as Early Careers Manager for Kier in August 2014 supporting the full remit of early careers for the Services side of the business. Due to the increase in the number of apprenticeships being offered across the group, Katie’s focus shifted to heading up the apprenticeship offering for the whole organisation. Katie has been integral in leading the organisational change in response to the changing face of apprenticeships and continues to work with government departments, professional bodies, employers and Kier’s clients to navigate new policy to ensure successful implementation.

Cindy Rampersaud

Pearson

Cindy Rampersaud is an accomplished senior executive with Board level experience in global and UK-based organisations within the education, media and third sectors. She has a strong track record of strategic, financial and change management to deliver challenging organisational goals.
Cindy is currently Senior Vice President (BTEC and Apprenticeships) at Pearson UK where she is responsible for the development of all Pearson’s UK technical, vocational and apprenticeship qualifications delivered by Colleges, Work Based Learning providers and National Employers.
Cindy moved into the education sector in 2011 when she took up the role as Deputy Principal, Finance & Strategy at City & Islington College before moving into consultancy in the FE sector in 2015. This work has included working with governing bodies and leadership teams across a wide range of areas including implementing recovery plans, advising on mergers, delivery models and organisation structures.
In 2016 she was appointed as Deputy FE Commissioner by the Department for Education working on the Government's Area Based Reviews of FE provision nationally within the context set out in the policy paper on ‘‘the review of post 16 education and training institutions’ and she has been responsible for leading the review across three LEP regions.
Before moving into the education sector Cindy held a number of senior roles in the commercial sector having been VP Finance at EMI, as well as having held senior roles at Warner Brothers and Virgin Megastores. She qualified as an Accountant in 1992. Cindy currently sits on the Board of The Children’s Society and Speakers Trust.

David Hughes

Association of Colleges

David Hughes became Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges in September 2016. Before that he was CEO at Learning and Work Institute, a leading think tank, research and policy organisation which was formed in 2016 from a merger he led between NIACE and Inclusion. From 2000 to 2011, David worked in senior roles at the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). At the LSC and SFA David led the funding and improvement relationships with colleges and providers and successfully took on trouble-shooting roles to rescue crises in capital funding and Educational Maintenance Allowances. Prior to that, David worked in the voluntary sector across a wide range of roles and organisations in the UK and Australia, in social housing, co-operatives, welfare, regeneration and community development. David has held many Board and Committee roles, including a few years as Vice-Chair of the East Midlands Regional Assembly in the 1990s. He played a leading role in establishing the new Education and Training Foundation in 2013 and has established and supported several third sector organisations.

Anthony Impey

Optimity and FSB

Anthony Impey is Founder and CEO of Optimity, which is pioneering a technology called Wibre to supply gigabit broadband to businesses in London.Last year, the company was ranked as one of the top fifty most disruptive companies in the Future Fifty Awards. Anthony also works extensively on developing talent for the tech sector and has run a number of programmes to help local young people start careers at thriving tech businesses in East London. He is Chair of the Federation of Small Business Skills Policy Board, Vice Chair of the Government’s Apprenticeship Stakeholder Board, and Chair of the 50,000 Homes Advisory Board at London First.He also sits on the GLA’s Skills for Londoners Taskforce. He recently won the Small Business Apprenticeship Maker Award from the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs as well as receiving the Worshipful Company of IT Practitioners’ Award for Outstanding Achievement and being listed in the Maserati 100 Index for his support of the next generation of talent.

Rob Colbourne

Performance Through People

Rob Colbourne has been in the Sector for over 30 years. Roles have included his current position as CEO at PTP Training for 15 years, looking after Education & Skills for a Chamber of Commerce and managing Apprenticeships in a Region for Debenhams. PTP deliver apprenticeships in a number of Sectors throughout the Midlands (2,000+ apprentices). PTP is currently talking to over 30 Levy paying employers of which 10 have signed contracts to date including; the Co-operative, Blakemores and HRG.
He Chairs the West Midlands Training Provider Network (representing 9 Associations and 400 Providers of Training) and represents the associations in many ways such as; LEP Education and Skills Boards, Skills Staffordshire (Skills Hub) and Local Authority Apprenticeship Growth Task Forces. He has also recently been invited to Chair the AELP Central Provider Group.
Rob is a Governor at a Studio School that is in the process of becoming a MAT with 6 other Schools (which will be a Levy payer) and attends the WorldSkills National Portfolio Group with a remit of encouraging Private Providers to engage with Competitions and has been invited to participate with OFSTED looking at how the inspection process is potentially modernised.
He recently set up an Apprenticeship initiative in parts of the West Midlands, ‘Ladder for’ which was Media and Buckingham Palace backed. With 1,000 apprenticeship vacancies being filled, the highlight was taking 70 apprentices to St James Palace to meet with Prince Andrew.
Rob has been married to Helen for 20 years and has three children aged 21, 17 and 12 who all do sport at a high level including; Synchronised Swimming, Kick Boxing, Rugby and Cricket. Rob is a qualified ECB Cricket Coach and endeavours to watch West Bromwich Albion when he has the time.

David Hill

Senior DfE Official

David Hill is Director of Apprenticeships in the Department for Education, leading the development of the Government’s apprenticeship reforms, a role he took up in 2015. He was Director of Strategy and Communications at the Department for Communities and Local Government from 2013 to 2015 and a member of the DCLG Board. He has worked in a range of roles across Government including as Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, and roles in the Department for Energy and Climate Change and Cabinet Office.

Mike Smith OBE

Gen II

Mike Smith has over 25 years of experience working both in and with the FE sector and is currently the CEO of Gen2 Engineering & Technology Training Ltd, which joined the City & Guilds Group in May 2017.

Mike started life in Manchester as an apprentice draughtsman, working for a large manufacturing company. Having completed his apprenticeship, in 1980 he left fulltime employment to study for his first degree at Lancaster University. On completion of his degree, Mike was recruited as a management trainee by BNFL, and started work at Sellafield in Cumbria.

Mike worked for 20 years at Sellafield in a variety of senior roles. His experience includes maintenance of chemical and active waste plants, the establishment of engineering standards, procedures and policies, and the management of large multi-million pound capital plant and decommissioning projects.

A Chartered Engineer by profession and Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), he is also a Fellow of the City & Guilds Institute of London (FCGI), and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors.

Mike joined Gen2 in 2003, having been responsible for the company’s setup and acting as its first Chairman. During his career with Gen2 he has had significant experience in the design and delivery of high quality training and educational programmes to support the engineering, nuclear and advanced manufacturing sectors. Specifically during his time with Gen2, Mike has become deeply involved in promoting education and training issues especially in relation to apprenticeships, engineering and nuclear skills, at both local and national levels.

In Cumbria, Mike sits on the Steering Group of the Centre of Nuclear Excellence (CoNE), a collaboration between local authorities, universities, major nuclear employers, trade unions and education and skills providers in Cumbria. He is also a Commissioner and a member of the Employment & Skills Commission which is a sub-group of the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

In recognition of his work, Mike was awarded the OBE in the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours List, for his services to skills, training, and voluntary service to the community of Cumbria.

Sally Garbett

St Christopher's Hospice

Sally Garbett is the Vocational Programmes Manager at St Christopher's Hospice in London where her role is to manage and develop the vocational education and qualifications offered. Sally is an active member of the Health and Nursing Associate Trailblazers and also leads a National Hospice Education Collaborative (NHEC) with over 260 members. Prior to working for St Christopher’s Sally was a freelance consultant and before that managed a Training Provider. She has over twenty five years' experience in vocational education, including qualification development, regulatory activities and FE/provider training and consultancy.

Julie Hyde

CACHE

Julie has over 10 years’ experience of management in the childcare and education sector. Julie spent 12 years prior to this gaining commercial sales and training experience working in industry as a Regional then National Account Manager.

Julie joined CACHE in 2010 as Northern Regional Manager and in 2011 was appointed Senior National Development Manager. In 2013 she was promoted to Director of Business Development where she directed the development of high quality vocational qualifications in care, health and education for learners and employers; improving the skills level and professional standards of the childcare, adult care, education and health care workforce. Julie is now the Associate Director of CACHE.

In Julie’s role as Associate Director of CACHE, she led on the recent Save Our Early Years campaign which resulted in the government reinstating Functional Skills as alternative maths and English qualifications accepted on entry to the workforce as a Level 3 Early Years Educator.

Nichola Hay

Outsource Training and Development

Nichola Hay is an expert in the delivery of work based learning. With over 20 years of operational experience and currently as the Director of Outsource Training and Development, part of the Seetec Group, she has built a reputation for the delivery of high quality learning experiences for young people within the sector. Nichola is a Board member for the AELP, sits on the 14-19 Strategic Group for Hounslow in West London, and previously Chair of the Work Based Learning Alliance Provider Forum in West London and a Board member for the Work Based Learning Alliance in London. Currently Nichola has established a working group with the SFA, DWP, BIS, JCP and NCS to support the promotion of Apprenticeships to schools, colleges, young people and their parents. A pilot project with the ambition to roll the model out across England. Working and consulting with national brand names Nichola is actively involved in reviewing NOS and the implementation of Trailblazers reflecting her long and established involvement in a variety of sectors.

Gordon Marsden

Shadow HE/FE & Skills Minister

Gordon Marsden MP was elected as the first Labour Member of Parliament for Blackpool South in 1997. He was educated at Oxford University, University of London and Harvard. Prior to his election, he was the Editor of History Today magazine. As a Member of Parliament Gordon previously was Labour Shadow Minister for Regional Growth, chair of Parliament’s All Party Education and Skills Committee, and a former member of Education and Business and Skills Select Committees. He is currently the Shadow Minister for Higher Education, Further Education and Skills.

Rt Hon Anne Milton

Minister of State at the Department for Education

Profile to follow shortly.

Carl Creswell

Department for Education

Profile to follow shortly.

Dr Ann Limb CBE DL

Chair of SEMLEP

Buckinghamshire entrepreneur Dr Ann Limb CBE DL was awarded the Honorary Doctor of Business Administration in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the life and community of Milton Keynes and the South East Midlands.

Ann, who also chairs tourism service Destination Milton Keynes, is a well-known champion of Milton Keynes, campaigns tirelessly to promote the city, and is also Chair of the biennial MK International Festival and Chair of the MK Major Events Board, which has overall responsibility for delivery in stadium:mk of the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

In the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours, Ann Limb was awarded a CBE. Ann began her career as a teacher and lecturer in 1977 and by 1988 was a College Principal at Milton Keynes College. It is a role she held for eight years before becoming Principal and Chief Executive of Cambridge Regional College.

From 2000 to 2005, Ann was Chief Executive of the University for Industry, which is now the successfully privatised digital learning organisation learndirect, and the digital social enterprise Tinder Foundation. From 2005, as Senior Vice President with the international strategic management consultancy Citizen Service Transformation, Ann advised governments in the UK and overseas.

Ann has held an extensive range of public and private sector non-executive directorships, together with many educational, voluntary and community appointments. Nationally, her current government roles in addition to Chairing SEMLEP include Non-Executive Director of the Homes and Communities Agency and Chair of the Environmental Regulator ENTRUST.

In 1998 Ann founded a national educational charity, the Helena Kennedy Foundation, which works to overcome social injustice by providing financial bursaries, mentoring and support to disadvantaged students.

The Rt Hon Lord Lingfield DLitt EdD DL

The Chartered Institution for Further Education

Lord Lingfield was knighted in 1993 for his services to education and created a Peer for life in 2010. He has been a teacher, researcher, lecturer and education policy maker. In the 1990s he was a senior adviser in education to the government and in charge of the policy of independence for state schools, and was Pro-Chancellor of Brunel University from 2006-13. He is author of the Lingfield Report on Professionalism in Further Education, and currently Chairman of the Cadet Vocational Qualification Organisation, CVQO, and the English Schools Orchestra.

Gordon Marsden MP

Shadow FE/HE & Skills Minister

Gordon Marsden MP was elected as the first Labour Member of Parliament for Blackpool South in 1997. He was educated at Oxford University, University of London and Harvard. Prior to his election, he was the Editor of History Today magazine. As a Member of Parliament Gordon previously was Labour Shadow Minister for Regional Growth, chair of Parliament’s All Party Education and Skills Committee, and a former member of Education and Business and Skills Select Committees. He is currently the Shadow Minister for Higher Education, Further Education and Skills.

Keith Smith

Programme Director, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Keith Smith has worked in the Skills system for more than 20 years. He has worked closely with unemployed people running local Job Clubs and implementing local employment projects. In recent years he has been leading the development and delivery of the national Further Education and Apprenticeship funding systems. Keith has been a Governor of a number schools and University Technology Colleges. He is currently the Programme Director with responsibility for implementing Apprenticeship funding reforms and the Apprenticeship Levy.

Sue Husband

Director of the National Apprenticeship Service, Skills Funding Agency

Sue Husband is the Director of the National Apprenticeship Service at the Skills Funding Agency (SFA), an executive agency of the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

The SFA is responsible for just under £4 billion of funding each year, supporting skills training through contracts with employers, over 1,000 colleges and private training organisations in England.

Sue is responsible for the two customer facing services of the SFA – the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) and the National Careers Service.

NAS supports the delivery of apprenticeships and traineeships in England, offering free impartial advice and support to employers looking to recruit for the first time or expand their programme. This includes simplifying the process of recruiting an apprentice or trainee through the support of employer focused teams and the Find an apprenticeship and Find a traineeship recruitment sites on GOV.UK where employers can advertise their vacancies and potential apprentices or trainees can apply.

Sue’s role includes: the promotion of apprenticeships; the provision of a responsive, high-quality service to employers; working with partners to improve the design and delivery of high-quality apprenticeships and promoting and supporting traineeships as part of the apprenticeship family.

Sue also has responsibility for the National Careers Service, which provides impartial careers information and advice and guidance to adults and young people to support their decision- making about learning and work.

Sue’s role includes: ensuring the National Careers Service provides high-quality information, and independent, professional advice and guidance for those who need it most. This is done whilst ensuring people are inspired and motivated to reach their full potential, to make learning and career choices which are well-informed, through the supply of further education, work-based training and higher education which reflects individual, employer and labour market demand. The National Careers Service work with employers, schools, colleges, charities and social enterprise to ensure that people not only access and understand the information that is available, but are also inspired by the opportunities available to them locally.

Douglas Strycharczyk

Chief Executive Officer, AQR/AQR International

Doug is the CEO of AQR and for AQR International – Founded in 1989, AQR is now recognised as one of the most innovative (and fast growing) test publishers in the world working in more than 80 countries.

AQR established its reputation initially as a leader in Team Building and leadership development. Doug’s work has been featured on BBC Television where Prof John Adair described the material as “highly effective”.

In recent years, Doug has worked with Professor Peter Clough to define mental toughness and to create the world’s leading measure of mental toughness. Doug is now recognised as a leading authority on the application of mental toughness to the worlds of work, education, sport as well as social applications. His expertise is focused on helping organisations develop performance, increase retention and employee engagement and more effectively dealing with issues such as bullying and the impact of change.

Doug has more than 30 years expertise in a variety of Line, HR & Consultancy roles with a number of blue chip businesses. Doug’s areas of expertise also include Organisational Development, Senior Management/Leadership Development and Top Team Assessment.

Doug has co-authored with Professor Peter Clough chapters in the following leading books:

Psychometrics in Coaching (2009) (Kogan Page & Association for Coaching)
Leadership Coaching (2010) (Kogan Page & Association for Coaching)
Developing Mental Toughness. Improving performance, wellbeing and positive behaviour in others. (2011) (Kogan Page)
Developing Mental Toughness: Coaching Strategies to Improve Performance, Resilience and Wellbeing (2015) (Kogan Page)

Peter Lauener

Institute for Apprenticeships

Peter is the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer for the Education Funding Agency and the Skills Funding Agency. He is also the Shadow Chief Executive for the Institute for Apprenticeships.

The EFA is an executive agency of the Department for Education and is responsible for the majority of the DfE’s funding of the education system - £57.98bn in 2015-16. The EFA fund all state-provided education to 8 million children ages 3 to 16 and 1.6 million young people aged 16 to 19 providing additional support to those with high needs.

SFA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills and is responsible for the funding of skills training for further education (FE) in England. SFA supports over 1,000 colleges, private training organisations, and employers with more than £4 billion of funding each year.

Peter was appointed Chief Executive and Accounting Officer when the Education Funding Agency (EFA) was formed in April 2012 and to the role of Chief Executive of the Skills Funding Agency in November 2014. Peter holds both roles concurrently and has separate accountability for each agency’s budget.

In addition, Peter has recently been appointed as Shadow Chief Executive for the Institute for Apprenticehips (IfA). Peter’s role will involve setting up the Institute before it becomes fully operational in April 2017.

Starting his career as an economist in the Government Economic Service, Peter has also worked in organisations such as the Scottish Office (pre-devolution), the Manpower Services Commission, the Department for Education and Employment and the Government Office network. He was appointed Chief Executive of the Young People’s Learning Agency in September 2010.

Martha Jennings

Sky Academy Starting Out Manager, Sky

Martha is Sky Academy Starting Out Manager, she’s been at Sky for just under four years and in that time has established an award winning centralised work experience programme before being promoted to manage all centralised entry level talent schemes including Graduates, Apprenticeships and Work Experience which together bring in over 1200 young people to Sky each year. Prior to Sky, Martha has gained extensive experience providing opportunities for young people to develop their skills and confidence primarily in the charity sector; ranging from running the country’s biggest one day enterprise challenge ‘The Make Your Mark Challenge’, supporting schools fundraising at Comic Relief through to setting up alumni networks in state schools at Future First.