Presenter Profiles

Lord Ted Rowlands CBE, President NTfW

Ted is the President for NTfW and has been a Member of Parliament for 33 years, former Parliamentary Secretary for Wales and Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and MP for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney.

Ted was awarded his CBE for his work and contribution to the History of Parliament Trust. The Trust oversees the research and publishing of the lives and political careers of every Member of Parliament from the 14th century to 1832.

Very romantically, Ted’s first job was as a very junior researcher for the History of Parliament Trust when he researched the members of Parliament of Radnorshire and Herefordshire; that was exactly 40 years ago.

In the 1980s, as a Member of Parliament, he was invited to be a trustee and in 1990 he became Chairman. He remained chairman for 10 years and oversaw the publication of the last five volumes of the History of Parliament, the period1690 – 1715.

He wrote the introduction to these five volumes, which are available in every international library as works of reference.

His chairmanship saw the research funding for the Trust reach over £1million per annum, and saw the transcription of over 13 million words of the history volumes on to CD ROM.

He was awarded the CBE for his contribution to this historical work.

The trustees include a former Speaker of the House of Commons, Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, university professors and sitting members of Parliament of all parties.

He has remained a trustee of the History of Parliament Trust.

Arwyn Watkins, Chair NTfW

Arwyn is Chair of the National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW) and Managing Director of Cambrian Training Company, a training provider that works in partnership with a wide range of businesses delivering high quality flexible vocational skills and support within the workplace throughout rural and urban Wales.

Arwyn has spent all of his working life in the service industry with a very strong focus on people development and maintains the strength of the company is its close working relationship with industry and the wider community as this is critical for a sustainable future where training needs are demand led and not supply driven. He has always promoted and demonstrated the importance in business of establishing a clear vision embracing core values to achieve strategic aims and sustainable success. Arwyn always tries to encourage people to consider embarking on vocational learning as it raises their aspirations, as well as world class standards across industry and business as a whole.

He is a member of the Welsh Culinary Association representing Wales as the Team Coach to the gold medal winning Junior Team.

Leighton Andrews AM

First elected to the Assembly on May 1 2003 representing the Rhondda constituency.

Leighton was born in Cardiff and studied at the University of Wales, Bangor and the University of Sussex. He is a former head of public affairs for the BBC and is an honorary professor at Cardiff University Journalism School. He is a former board member of Tai Cymru (Housing for Wales). He is married with two children and was co-founder of the Yes for Wales campaign.

Philip Lay, Retail Director, SA Brain & Co Ltd

Janet Jones, FSB Wales Chair

Janet Jones is the Welsh Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses. With some 10,000 members, the FSB is Wales’ largest business organisation drawing its membership from every sector of the Welsh economy. The FSB exists to promote and protect the interests of all who own and/or operate their own business.

Janet is married and helps run the family farming business along with her husband and two of her three sons. She has been an active member of the FSB since 1998 and the Welsh Chair for just over three years. She has represented and spoken at the Welsh Party Political Conferences and much of her time is spent promoting the needs of SMEs and ensuring the voice of business is heard.

Dr Geoff Hayward, Director of Research, Associate Director SKOPE, Reader in Education Oxford University, Department of Education

Dr Geoff Hayward is Director of Research and Reader in Education at Oxford University’s Department for Education. He is the Associate Director of the ESRC Research Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE), , and a Governor of Oxford and Cherwell Valley College. Initially trained as a research biologist, Geoff subsequently became a Further Education lecturer, his research interest in vocational education and training stemming from this experience. As a director of the Nuffield 14-19 Review he led the Engaging Youth Enquiry, which examined the perspectives and experiences of young people at risk of social exclusion and those who work with them.

His research interests include the economics and politics of education and training, transitions into the labour market and Higher Education, national qualification frameworks, and the relationship between Higher Education and the economy. He has just completed a major project on transitions from VET into Higher Education funded by the ESRC and is currently working on a project examining innovation in Vocational Education and training across Europe.

Alun Davies, General Manager, NTfW

Alun joined the NTfW in May 2010 as General Manager, bringing 22 years experience in the field of personal development, training, education and performance management. He joined following 11 years working for the WRU as their Player Welfare and Lifestyle Manager, where managed the elite player and coaches career, education, welfare, personal development and transition programme.

Alun joined the WRU in 1999 from the then West Wales TEC Ltd, where he was a Training & Education Contract Manager based in Swansea. Prior to this role Alun worked with various training providers delivering training programmes to a diverse group of learners across a range of personal development topics.

Alun is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development & holds a Masters Degree in Sport Management from Northumbria University.

Alun originates from Seven Sisters and after many years living and working away he returned to the village in where he now lives with his wife Debbie and their 10 year old daughter Ellie. He was educated at Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera, before a family move to Bristol resulted in him continuing his education at Henbury Comprehensive School.

Workshop Facilitators

Bethan Webb, Head of Funding Policy, Welsh Assembly Government

Brian Dunlop, Transformation Project, Project Lead, NTfW

Brian is Masters level qualified executive and a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute with substantial experience in strategic and operational management. He is used to long and medium-term business planning for both objective and process requirements. He has proven skills in hands off objective focused management styles using targets as measurements of satisfactory performance. Very used to strategic thinking and relating this from the bigger picture to process. He is experienced in communication at all levels from director to worker level.

He has served as a director on the Board for the National Training Federation for Wales.

Bridget Moseley, Transformation Project, NTfW

Bridget started working with young people on Work Based Learning programmes in 1982 when YTS was introduced; working for the HCITB, she set up and delivered work based programmes in the hotel and catering industry across Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.

Since then she has worked on a range of programmes across several counties in England and Wales – Youth Training, Employment Training, Community Programmes, and most latterly with Skill Build and Apprenticeship programmes in West Wales. She has worked in both the public and private sector having been employed by Gloucestershire and Dyfed County Councils, Trainline, HCITB and prior to taking a post with NTfW for 9 years she ran work based learning programmes within the FE sector in West Wales.

Rachel Searle, Transformation Project, NTfW

After completing a BSc (Hons) Psychology, Rachel worked for many years with young people with mental health problems and/or learning difficulties, supporting them to develop independent living skills. She later joined SWATS, a work based learning company specialising in Health & Social Care training. During her 12 years in SWATS, she gained experience and completed work based training eventually becoming Chief Executive, taking the company from strength to strength. During this time she was also a NTfW board member, as regional chair for the South West region. Rachel became Managing Director of Aspiration Training Wales when they acquired SWATS. Ever the lifelong learner, Rachel is also pursuing a BSc (Hons) in Herbal Medicine”.

Andy Dodge, Transformation Project, NTfW

Andy graduated from Southampton University in 1987 with a B.Sc.(Hons) in Chemistry and Biochemistry and worked for 3 years in the Pharmaceutical Industry. He completed teacher training at Cardiff University and has spent 18 years working in the FE, secondary and independent sectors delivering a wide variety of academic and vocational courses. He gained experience at both middle and senior management level being promoted to Deputy Head and established many links with providers and external agencies. In 2008, he completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Educational Leadership. Andy was an Estyn trained Peer Assessor, Vice-Chair of Governors and was elected Governor Representative onto Cardiff County Council’s ‘Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee’. He hopes to use this experience to further develop Work Based Learning and the Transformation Agenda.

Jeff Protheroe, CQFW Project, NTfW

Jeff Protheroe is the CQFW Project Co-ordinator/Researcher for NTFW. His brief is to co-ordinate a project aimed at identifying the impact and requirements of Work Based Learning (WBL) Providers, to successfully implement the introduction of the Credit and Qualification Framework for Wales (CQFW). The two year project will assess the impact in developing credit frameworks delivery, in relation to all aspects of contract management including, but not limited to, planning, funding, delivery, management information and data collection. In addition to this, the project will also develop a model for the delivery, assessment, recording and accreditation of a credit based curriculum in various apprenticeship frameworks.

Jeff has gained a considerable amount of experience from working within the Work-Based Learning sector, gained and developed through working at all levels within different providers and working with a broad spectrum of learners, employers and partner organisations. These experiences have enabled him to have a full understanding of the requirements, needs and issues faced by both the network and its stakeholders.

Trevor Clark, Head of Credit Framework, Credit & Qualifications Framework for Wales

Trevor has had thirty years working in education and training after working for the International Thomson Group in journalism and travel. He is a committed lifelong leaner and has led the development and implementation of the CQFW for the last five years.

• Very extensive experience in VET curriculum design
• Government educational quality assurance systems Inspector
• Responsibility for the strategic and operational development of Credit and Qualifications Framework. for Wales (CQFW);
• Extensive experience at delivery and conferences and seminars. Presented at the EQF seminar in Glasgow .Attended the EQF Conference in Budapest February 2006;
• Working with colleagues in Europe on developing systems and procedures and outlining issues within the development of the European Qualification Framework;
• Member of working group developing systems and processes for articulation and alignment of frameworks across the UK and the European Qualification Framework;

Mandy James, National Training Manager, City & Guilds

Bernard O’Reilly, Estyn, Lead HMI for work-based-learning and the Department of Work and Pensions

M.B.A Bsc in Criminal justice studies and NVQ level 5 in management.

Bernard has worked for various government departments over the years including H.M Customs and Excise, H M Treasury and Manpower Services Commission.

He was previously Deputy Chief Executive of South Glamorgan Training and Enterprise Council and Wales Regional Manager for the Criminal Defence Service.

For the past 7 years Bernard was Estyn’s Managing HMI for the WBL, DWP and Careers sectors in Wales. He is currently Estyn’s lead HMI for work-based-learning and the Department for Work and Pensions

Nick Lee, Head of Skill Build Development, DCELLS, Welsh Assembly Government

Nick has been directly involved with Work Based Learning delivery in Wales since 1992. Prior to joining Mid Glamorgan Training and Enterprise Council as a Work Based Learning Contract Manager in 1996, Nick was employed as a training provider manager engaged with learners undertaking pre-vocational learning.

Following the mergers of the Training and Enterprise Councils and sometime later that of ELWa into the Welsh Assembly Government, his current role has been to lead and manage the on-going strategic review of the youth and adult successor Work Based Learning programmes to Skill Build. Nick’s Branch within the Welsh Assembly Government also manages the Skill Build pilot project which operates in the European Social Fund convergence areas across Wales. This project aims to drive continuous improvement whilst aligning the successor programmes to Skill Build with major skills policy initiatives within Wales.

Nick’s role requires close liaison with National Training Federation for Wales Executive Board members thus providing a close link between the provider network and the Welsh Assembly Government.

Nick has lived in Wales since 1972 and is married with four children.

John Dick, National Sales Manager, Pearson

John Dick is the National Manager for Pearson Workbased Learning in Wales.

Edexcel are part of Pearson plc and is the UK's largest awarding body offering academic and vocational qualifications and testing to schools, colleges, employers and other places of learning in the UK and internationally.

John joined Pearson WBL in May 2009 after 5 years as Director of Awards UK, where he worked with a range of large UK employers including Wincanton, Standard Life, MoD Logistics, First Group and Stagecoach UK Bus.

He has also worked in production management and in a range of Learning and Development roles.

As a lecturer for the OU for several years John specialised in courses focused on change management and skills development. John has an MBA from the University of Strathclyde Business School and is about to complete the NVQ in Management Level 5.

Michelle Creed, Director Wales, LLUK

Michelle Creed is Director, Wales, for Lifelong Learning UK. Michelle joined LLUK in 2005 to establish and build LLUK’s strategic employer and stakeholder relationships and operational activities in Wales. Michelle has worked in Sector Skills Councils (and National Training Organisations) in Wales since 2001 and was the elected chair of the Skills for Business Network Wales for 2005/6.

Michelle has been a Learning and Development specialist since 1992, and her experience includes Management Development, Training Delivery and Training Policy/Strategy. In 1997 she was appointed as Head of Training for a FTSE Financial Service Provider with responsibility for learning delivery across their network of branches and direct distribution channels.

Michelle was worked at both operational and strategic levels for Major PLCs, medium sized business and small enterprises.

She is currently a governor of Bath City College and a member of the Quality Improvement Committee.

Mark Isherwood, Sector Manager, LLUK

Mark was born in Cardiff and is 40 years old. He is married with three children aged 7, 5 & 3. Mark went to school at St Cyres Comprehensive School in Penarth and was a 1993 UWIC graduate with a Sports Degree and PGCE Secondary P.E./Mathematics.

Mark likes to stay fit and healthy and has played rugby union and rugby league to student international level, semi-professional and has experience of coaching teams throughout his career.

Mark was appointed the first Rugby League Development Officer in Wales and trained and educated coaches and delivered to learners aged 6 to 60.

Mark was a P.E. Teacher at Penyrheol comprehensive school, Swansea for three years where he developed curriculum and scheme of work to meet requirements of the national curriculum.

He was also a Professional Coach for Wales Rugby League Academy for three years, in partnership with Cardiff County Council & Sporttrain Wales and helped to introduce the Modern Apprenticeship Programme for professional players.

Sporttrain Wales are a work based learning provider delivering DCELLS Skillbuild, FMA, MA and MSD programmes in the Active Leisure sector throughout Wales. Mark was the quality manager, but with personal experience of work based learning as a learner, trainer, assessor, Internal Verifier He is also trained as a Peer Assessor and additional inspector in Work Based Learning for ESTYN and sat on the steering group for the Post 16 sector new ITTE and TQFW for Wales with LLUK.

Mark has completed a two year secondment to the Welsh Assembly Government as a ‘Pedagogy Champion’ as a representative of the lifelong learning sector and has been in post as the LLUK Sector Manger for Wales for 2 years helping employers in the sector develop their staff by leading on workforce planning and professional development to make sure the workforce is equipped with the skills to bring out the best in their learners.

Russell Symmons, E Learning Advisor, RSC Wales

Russell Symmons has been employed as an e-Learning Advisor by JISC RSC Wales for the past 2 and half years. His primary role is to support the strategic embedding of technology relating to both learner and businesses functions and act as a catalyst for collaboration, highlighting and sharing of good practice in Wales. Russell has been involved in Work Based Learning since 1984, initially specialising in microelectronics with Blaenau Gwent Information Technology Centre and latterly as Training Manager for Carmarthenshire County Council. Russell served as the South West Wales representative of the National Training Federation for 3 years.