The Association of Apprentices appoints Emily Austin as CEO

13th January 2021

The Association of Apprentices promotes former Partnerships Director, Emily Austin to the position of Chief Executive Officer.

The Association of Apprentices (AoA) announces the promotion of former Partnerships Director to the position of CEO. Emily Austin, will now have the primary responsibility to bring the Association of Apprentices to the forefront of the industry.  Having launched its pilot operation in February 2021, followed by additional platform and app development, the Association formally launched its services in September 2021. Ambitions for this year will focus on membership engagement, further widening the apprentice community and delivering value for apprentices and partners.

“We are really pleased to appoint Emily as Chief Executive Officer of the Association. Emily has been an excellent Partnership Director for the Association, building a wide array of strong strategic relationships and instrumental in growing our membership. We wish her every success” said Sir Peter Estlin, Chair at the Association of Apprentices.

“I’m delighted to be appointed as the new CEO of the Association of Apprentices.  It is such a privilege to be leading an organisation that supports thousands of UK apprentices with the things that matter the most; whether that be life skills, mental health and well-being or simply the chance to belong to a community where they can share experiences and advice.  We know the many benefits of social learning for individuals and employers, and I believe the Association is in the strongest possible position to deliver this” said Emily Austin.

Austin joins with over 10 years’ experience in the sector, having previously worked as an apprentice employer leading Lloyds Banking Group’s apprenticeship programme and for apprentice training provider Capita Learning.  Austin joined the Association last year on secondment from Founding Partner Babington as Partnership Director and has overseen external relationships and engagement; helping to move the Association from concept to launch and build its offer to apprentices.  Austin will also continue in her capacity as Director at the St Martin’s Group, a membership organisation focused on building a sustainable, quality-focused and employer-led apprenticeship and skills system in the UK.

The Association of Apprentices is a membership association which creates a community for the UK’s almost one million apprentices. AoA aims to provide the social and broader elements often missing from apprenticeship programmes, access to advice and guidance which supports life-long career development, and a lifetime of professional networks.

For more information, press only: 

hello@associationofapprentices.org.uk

Jan Richardson-Wilde

CEO, Occupational Awards Limited

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.

We use cookies on our website. You are free to manage this via your browser setting at any time.