Advisory Panel
Click on a member of the advisory panel below to find out more about them.
Colin McDermid
Early Careers Manager
Centrica
Click on a member of the advisory panel below to find out more about them.
Early Careers Manager
Centrica
Apprenticeships Director, Capita Learning
Debbie has over 17 years’ leadership experience in the Apprenticeship and skills sector. She is currently the Director of Funded Learning at Capita. Previous roles have included Director of Operations, Head of Apprenticeships, Lead for Apprenticeships and CEO of an ITP.
She is passionate about providing a great learning experience for all learners, which enables them to achieve their aspirations.
Managing Director, QA
Jo joined QA in 2021 as Director of Education, responsible for the delivery organisation across Learning and Apprenticeships before taking on an expanded role as Senior Vice President of Education across the Group to include QA, Cloud Academy and Circus Street. In November 2023, Jo was appointed Managing Director, responsible for the Group’s government-funded apprenticeships business unit which delivers a variety of tech disciplines, across numerous levels, up to degree apprenticeships, to more than 5000 learners a year.
Jo is a well-established and authentic leader with over 20 years’ experience in the education sector, having started her career as a teacher. Following several years as a teacher and school leader in the UK, Jo embarked on a career, working across all aspects of the learning space – from strategic direction setting and teacher training to delivering digital and cultural transformation programmes – which also gave her experience in international education with both public and private sector organisations.
Prior to joining QA, Jo held a number of senior positions with PA Consulting and Capgemini where most of her time was spent in the university/TVET sectors supporting organisations to deliver an excellent learning.
Managing Director, Innovate Awarding
Charlotte is Managing Director of Innovate Awarding. Charlotte’s career within Education commenced in 1996 with RSA Examinations Board and she has vast experience in curriculum, assessment and qualification design.
Charlotte has spent much of her career working in partnership with thought leaders in education to influence curriculum delivery and development, and to ensure best practice is assimilated into the development of qualifications, assessments and delivery. Much of Charlotte’s work has included building relationships and interpreting the needs of employers.
In addition Charlotte is a trustee of Career Colleges and a Board member of The Federation of Awarding Bodies and AELP. She is also an Independent Governor for an FE College and for a Secondary school that’s vision is led by national Employers.
Head of Apprenticeships Delivery, Network Rail
Hannah has have worked in the field of Apprenticeships and Graduates for nearly 20 years and is currently the Head of Apprenticeship Delivery at Network Rail. Previous positions have included senior roles in National Express and RATP Dev London – a London Bus company. Hannah has been involved in developing various apprentice standards through trail blazer groups including a new standard for Bus Maintenance Engineers, and has worked with key stakeholders such as Transport for London to develop qualifications to drive improved customer experience.
Hannah is Vice Chair of Governors and the Special Educational Needs Link Governor at a local secondary school and is passionate about the role that apprenticeships play in driving organisational performance and increasing social mobility.
Hanna has recently relocated with her family from London to Sheffield, where they joined the Open House Project – a self-supportive, eco-friendly co-housing community.
UK Early Careers Programme Manager
Biography to follow.
Executive Principal, CITB
Kirsty Evans joined CITB in March 2024, as Executive Principal National Construction College and CITB Apprenticeships Scotland. Prior to this, Kirsty was the of Director Regions and Providers at the Department for Education, having previously held a number of senior posts within the Education and Skills Funding Agency and the Skills Funding Agency. Kirsty has a wealth of experience from roles delivering a wide range of post 16 education policy and operational programmes, including apprenticeships.
Managing Director, Support Connect
Caroline co-founded WSDAC Limited in 2013, a nationwide provider of Student Disability Assessment Centres for university students who have been approved for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSAs). Caroline, along with her fellow co-founder Matthew Heathman, drew on their own neurodiverse personal experiences to set out to create a more positive and supportive learning environment for students with disabilities / neurodiversities and long-term medical conditions. WSDAC’s multi award winning assessments empower students to access specialist equipment and support to maximise their potential throughout their studies and beyond.
In 2019, Caroline co-founded the rapidly expanding Support Connect Limited with fellow directors Matthew Heathman and Jason French, to extend the kind of assessment facility available to university students under the DSA grant and to connect people from school age all the way through the working population with the support they need, and the funding schemes available to help them. Support Connect Limited actively recruits apprentices to also strengthen the peer to peer support opportunities we provide.
At Support Connect, we are able to identify and support apprentices who are learning as part of their off-the-job training by providing a personalised learning support plan. Support Connect exists to help the Apprentice, Trainer and Work Supervisor to be aware of learning differences and to put into place the help, methods and techniques to facilitate the best possible learning experience from onboarding through to their end point assessment, in short, to help apprentices to succeed.
CEO, NCFE
David is Chief Executive Officer at NCFE, a leading educational charity, with business operations in Awarding, Assessment and Learning Technologies and Resources. David initially joined NCFE in 2018 as Managing Director of NCFE EPA Plus, leading a new team to deliver End-Point Assessment for apprenticeships. NCFE is the 3rd largest Awarding Organisation in technical and vocational education in the UK and has recently been selected by Government to develop and accredit 6 T Level pathways. NCFE’s core purpose is to ‘promote and advance learning’ and all NCFE businesses play a role in supporting learners to achieve the best possible education, career and life outcomes.
David has enjoyed a successful career in employment and skills for over 18 years, spanning from frontline delivery in some of the most disadvantaged communities in the UK to his current role as CEO of an educational charity that is particularly focussed on supporting the most disadvantaged.
David’s diverse career, has shaped his perspectives on education, skills and employment. This has included; working the public sector for the Learning and Skills Council (now ESFA) where he was heavily involved in qualification reform policy and the introduction of the QCF, working with several leading national employment and skills providers, including: Working Links and Ingeus, during periods of significant market shift, such as; the introduction of ‘payment by results’, twice being nominee for an Ofsted inspection and also working with a variety of devolved authorities and stakeholders in the design and delivery of locally responsive skills provision.
Chief Executive, NOCN Group
NOCN Group is an international and UK based education and skills charity that works with employers to support them up-skill their workforces, support individuals to obtain certified and credentialled skills to gain employment and advance their careers or undertake further education and finally to support governments with consultancy and research in order to establish and operate apprenticeship, vocational and technical skills programme aim at improving economic performance and productivity.
Graham has many years’ senior management experience in industry in a number of economic sectors both in the UK and internationally. These sectors include broadcasting, construction, environmental and sustainability, engineering, facilities management, financial services, science, technology and utilities.
He has been involved in UK Government’s reform of apprenticeships and technical education as well as developing several Trailblazer apprenticeship standards including degree apprenticeships. This is now resulted in NOCN introducing degree apprenticeships to other parts of the World.
In addition, he has a wealth of management and management development training experience which he has used to lead several organisations through periods of major challenging change. This has been aimed at increasing productivity in both the workforce and management.
He joined NOCN as Managing Director at the beginning of 2011 and is now Chief Executive of the Group. Prior to that Graham worked on management development, workforce training, employment and skills development in industry, government and also on employment and skills programme for the construction of the London Olympics. He has also worked in government on skills and apprenticeship policy and programmes.
Graham is the President of the British Association of Construction Heads (BACH) and Chair of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) Construction Sector Forum.
Recently he has authored a major publication on “Greening of the UK’s Skills”.
His work on developing the skills of adults and young people includes time in India, Middle-East, Southern Africa and ASEAN as well as parts of Europe.
Director of Apprenticeship Strategy and Policy, BPP Education Group
BPP are the UK’s leading professional education training provider. Nichola works to ensure BPP delivers on its commitment to provide the highest quality professional apprenticeship training for UK businesses looking to upskill their existing workforce and attract new talent. With over 25 years of experience in the further education sector, Nichola leads and develops BPP’s apprenticeship strategy and client proposition, supporting the business to meet its growth plans, while positioning BPP as a market leader in the further education sector.
She also works closely with key external and political stakeholders responsible for skills, to influence and improve education and skills policy in the UK. Nichola was recognised for her services to apprenticeships and skills in the Queen’s 2021 New Year Honour List.
National Programme Manager – Apprenticeships, NHS
Lucy has worked in the training and education sector for over 20 years and for the past 10 years she has been working in the Apprenticeship arena. First leading the business development teams at 2 London FE colleges and for the past 6 years working for Health Education England offering strategic support to the NHS on all aspects of apprenticeship development, delivery, and implementation. She is very passionate about apprenticeships as a great tool to recruit new talent to the NHS but also as a way to upskill the existing workforce and offer career pathways and progression. She was Highly Commended – Apprentice Champion of the Year at the National Apprenticeship Awards 2022.
CEO, Bud
John is CEO of Bud Systems, the leading provider of software supporting apprenticeship training providers, employers and apprentices.
He joined Bud in 2021 to lead their ambitious growth plan. He has previously led two other education based technology businesses – RM Results and Pamoja Education – as they have scaled. His earlier career included managing corporate IT systems at Centrica and Lloyds TSB.
John sees apprenticeships as a critical component of the education landscape and one of the key initiatives to address the UK skills gap.
Bud are delighted to be a founder partner of the Association of Apprentices.
Early Careers Lead UK – Work Experience, Traineeships & Apprenticeships, HSBC
Head of Early Careers and Staff Apprenticeships, BBC
Sarah is the BBC’s Head of Early Careers and Staff Apprenticeships. She leads a multi-award-winning team who deliver pre-employment, apprenticeship and trainee schemes in journalism, technology, production and business.
Sarah has worked at the BBC for nearly 30 years. She started as a television researcher and progressed to Executive Producer making factual series for the BBC, including Gardeners’ World and Bargain Hunt. She also produced series for Radio 4. Sarah previously managed the BBC’s Production and Technology training, winning a Learning Technologies award.
Sarah is on the RTS Education Committee and an Executive Coach. She has completed a Level 7 Senior Leader apprenticeship at Cranfield University in 2023.
Apprenticeship Development Manager – People & Places, Lloyds Banking Group
Sharon is a HR professional with over 20 years’ experience from undertaking a range of Learning and Talent Management Roles. Sharon currently works as an Apprenticeship Development Manager for Lloyds Banking Group where she has responsibility for the Leadership and Specialist Programmes supporting new to bank and existing LBG colleagues through their learner journeys. Sharon has completed a Level 4 Project Management Apprenticeship to develop her own skills and understand fully the experience ‘from the inside’.
Apprenticeships are integral to the talent and development proposition at LBG with typically 1500 colleagues on one of thirty programmes from level 2 to level 7 at any one time. LBG also deliver SME skill development through apprenticeship levy transfer, supporting over 900 apprentices with over £10m of funding, particularly in STEM and Digital skillsets.
Future Talent – Early Careers Programmes Lead, bp
Kerryn leads global early careers programmes across a range of business groups and disciplines and is the strategic lead for apprentices. She has worked in early careers programmes at bp for 2 years. Prior to bp, Kerryn worked at Goldman Sachs for more than 10 years as an Executive Director in change management and business readiness functions before moving to Kubrick Group as Head of Consultant Development.
Apprentices are a critical part of bp’s early careers population and bp has ambitious targets to increase apprentice numbers year on year to build the skills required to power the energy transition and positively impact diversity and social mobility.
Director of Apprenticeship Development and Diversity, Kaplan
Apprenticeships can be transformative for the lives of learners and their employers. Through being a leading provider of Accountancy & Tax, Financial Services and Data & Technology apprenticeships, Kaplan enables apprentices to flourish in their careers. Kaplan is delighted to support the powerful work and advocacy of the Association of Apprentices.
Jenny’s own career in apprenticeship education has involved her leading the development and design of apprenticeship programmes in financial services, accountancy & tax and law. Her career started with teaching English and then she qualified as a solicitor, working in London and Brussels. But she couldn’t resist the pull of education so joined a law school in 2004 and Kaplan in 2019. Jenny is a member of the Apprenticeship Leadership Team at Kaplan Financial and a Governor of Kaplan Pathways. She leads on the Brighter Futures initiative and is dedicated to broadening access to apprenticeships and the professions through her work with the Multicultural Apprenticeship Alliance, RISE which provides skills insights to schools and the social mobility charity Career Ready. She also represents Kaplan as the organising partner of the World Skills Accounting and Tax competition.
Head of Apprenticeships, BT
Jamie is a commercial learning professional with a passion and specialism for apprenticeships. Joining BT at the beginning of 2023, as Head of Apprenticeships, Jamie leads the apprenticeship strategy across the business, focusing on both entry level talent and reskilling and upskilling the current workforce.
Prior to joining BT, Jamie gained significant multi sector experience across public and private sector organisations, including London Fire Brigade, Network Rail, Volkswagen and most notably had accountability for the Jaguar Land Rover Apprenticeship programme whilst working for Training Provider Babcock. Jamie has spent the last 3 years working in the nuclear sector working in partnership with Sellafield, focusing on future skills and capability.
Sam Sawyer, CEO/Co-Founder, Accelerate People
Sam is the CEO/Co-Founder of Accelerate People, an Apprenticeship End-point Assessment Organisation currently operating within the Digital Sector. As well as overseeing the day-to-day operations, Sam leads on the vision and strategic direction of the business within the Blenheim Chalcot portfolio.
Sam has worked in the BC portfolio for some 10 years as Director of Operations where she led a highly successful team and was responsible for delivering Ofsted Grade 1. Sam is a qualified External and Internal Verifier and tutor and prior to her BC career, she spent 12 years at a national training provider with over 5,000 apprenticeship starts per year, starting as Area Manager and working up to CEO.
A passionate advocate of Apprenticeships, Sam has helped numerous businesses in the sector to build their infrastructure to enable them to achieve and maintain quality provision as they grow.
Jan is the CEO of Occupational Awards Limited, a Director of the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink and an FE College Governor. She has over 35 years’ experience in the education sector in strategic and operational management of training programmes with colleges, private training providers, local authorities the voluntary sector and not for profit organisations. Jan has previously been a board member of the Learning and Skills Council, chair of the North Yorkshire Training Provider network and Vice-Chair of Yorkshire Coast College and a Governor of the Grimsby Institute for Further and Higher Education. She has extensive experience of education policy, apprenticeships, qualification, and curriculum development as well as business improvement.
Jan joined OAL in 2019, a leading non-profit industry-focused Awarding and End-Point Assessment Organisation, supporting a wide range of employers and of key stakeholders to succeed and surpass expectations. Jan is committed to continuous improvement and enthusiastic about improving the effectiveness, impact and quality of apprenticeships, education, and training in the UK and internationally. She has a wide range of experience of working in a collaborative context with employers and training providers to develop End Point Assessment, apprenticeships, and a wide range of vocational programmes.
Chief Executive Officer, Impact Futures and The Childcare Company
Simon is the Chief Executive Officer of the group of companies that includes apprenticeship providers Impact Futures and The Childcare Company – which provides apprenticeships and other skills programmes across childcare and early years, health and social care, and business skills to over 5000 learners.
Simon has nearly 30 years of experience leading and transforming businesses across financial services, business services and the adult skills sectors. His executive career has spanned Barclays, the NHS, Financial Ombudsman Service, Santander and Capita. Simon was also the Group MD of PeoplePlus Group, one of the UK’s largest Skills, Social Care and Employability providers to local and national government.
Simon is a Fellow of the Institute of Employability Professionals and a Fellow of the Learning and Performance Institute. Simon is also the Chairman of the Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority, overseeing fire and rescue services to over 800,000 people and which was recently judged one of the top 100 Apprenticeship Employers – the top Fire and Rescue Service in the country.
CEO, Lifetime Training
David Smith is a dynamic and visionary leader who took the reins as CEO of Lifetime in July 2023. With a remarkable track record across multiple blue chip business service sectors, David brings a wealth of expertise and a passion for transforming companies, building long lasting customer relationships, and building colleague engagement all with an eye on sustainability and social value.
Before joining Lifetime, David has held the prestigious position of Chief Executive at 6 previous organisations, where he made a lasting impact in sectors as diverse as Logistics, Facilities Management, Environmental Services, and Retail Banking. David is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
But David is more than just a seasoned executive; he is a true advocate for the power of vocational training and the incredible potential it holds for individuals and businesses alike. With an unwavering belief in the value of apprenticeships, David champions their ability to unlock untapped talents and create meaningful opportunities.
Head of Future Talent, Royal Mail
Charlotte Wakeham, Chartered FCIPD, is Head of Future Talent at Royal Mail Group, leading a team of early talent and apprenticeship specialists. Charlotte partners across the national organisation to build a portfolio of early careers and apprenticeship opportunities to hire and develop new talent, whilst also connecting existing colleagues with the opportunity to gain professional qualifications whilst they work. Charlotte leads proactive outreach activity to connect Royal Mail with schools, work experience candidates and prospective applicants across the UK.
Charlotte joined Royal Mail in 2012 and has gained experience across a number of HR disciplines including Workforce Planning and HR Business Partnering, partnering with large teams across the Royal Mail operation. Charlotte is passionate about promoting apprenticeships as an opportunity to access the workplace and education. She also works closely with the Royal Mail Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to ensure that the Future Talent portfolio can make a positive impact on social mobility.
