Speakers and Workshop Presenters 2025
John Nash
Chair, National Training Federation for Wales
With a background in engineering and quality management, the National Training Federation for Wales (NTFW) chair John Nash became a training advisor with TSW Training in 1989.
After leading a management buy-out of the Bridgend – based business with two colleagues, he became managing director for six years from 2012 and continues to serve as a director on commercial and work-based learning projects.
An experienced assessor, lead verifier and a trained peer assessor, John lives in Ferndale and represents the work-based learning sector on Cardiff Capital Region Skills Partnership Advanced Manufacturing Group.
He has guided the NTFW through a series of challenges including apprenticeship budget cuts and has taken the lead on a number of important projects.
Lisa Mytton
Strategic Director, National Training Federation for Wales
Lisa is currently the Strategic Director for NTFW National Training Federation Wales, Lisa has worked in the Post 16 work-based learning industry for over 28 years as a senior Quality Manager, Estyn Peer Inspector alongside a 17 year political career in Local Government,
Lisa has previously been the Mayor, Cabinet member for Education and most recently Leader of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council.
Lisa is also a director of the following charitable companies The Cyfarthfa Foundation, Merthyr Tydfil Institute for the Blind and The Stephens and George Charitable Trust.
Guest Speakers
Rhian Edwards
Executive Director for Policy, Medr
Rhian Edwards is the Executive Director for Policy and started her role with Medr on 1 August 2024.
Before joining Medr, Rhian was the Deputy Director for the Further Education and Apprenticeship Division at the Welsh Government. The division was responsible for a range of policy, planning, funding, quality assurance and monitoring functions for further education, work-based learning, adult learning and school sixth forms.
Prior to joining the Welsh Government, Rhian worked in the private and voluntary sectors, with her most recent role as Commercial Director for Cwmpas. Rhian graduated from Cardiff University in 2003 and went on to do an MBA with the University of South Wales.
Philip Blaker
Chief Executive, Qualifications Wales
Prior to joining Qualifications Wales as Chief Executive in 2015, Philip worked as a consultant at PwC and was Director of Operations at UCAS. His career has been focused on the delivery of large-scale complex operations, and, before joining PwC, he had a background in the delivery of national assessments and examinations.
Philip was Director of Test Operations with the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency and part of an awarding body senior management team. Philip has postgraduate qualifications in business management and is a qualified project and programme manager.
Darren Howells
Chief Executive Officer, Agored Cymru
Darren joined Agored Cymru in 2019 as Deputy Chief Executive and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in May 2021.
Darren is responsible for setting Agored Cymru’s strategic and commercial direction and promoting the organisation’s mission in enabling individuals achieve the skills and qualifications they need to maximise their potential, enrich their lives and to contribute to their communities and a strong economy
Prior to joining Agored Cymru Darren held senior commercial roles within the Awarding Sector and drinks industry. He is also a Governor at an FE College.
Angharad Lloyd Beynon
Senior Policy, Stakeholder and Partnerships Manager (Nations and Ireland), City & Guilds
Angharad Lloyd Beynon is a Senior Policy, Stakeholder and Partnerships Manager at City & Guilds and looks after Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. She supports City & Guilds’ purpose of enabling people and organisations to unlock their potential and develop the knowledge and skills needed for personal and economic growth. Angharad works closely with key stakeholders across the nations to achieve this.
Angharad is a Liveryman for the Worshipful Livery Company of Wales. She is also a Board member for Coleg Sir Gar and Coleg Ceredigion and is a member of the Leadership Board for Business in The Community Wales. Angharad is also the Co-chair of the Federation of Awarding Bodies Wales and Scotland, volunteers for BGM Hospital Radio and is also on the Employment Advisory Board for Cardiff and Parc Prison.
Workshop Presenters
Mark Evans
HMI, Estyn
Mark has been an HMI with Estyn for nearly 20 years and is the lead officer for work-based learning/apprenticeships. Mark has significant inspection experience across the post-16 sector as well as compulsory education. Prior to joining Estyn Mark had extensive experience in the post-16 sector including leadership and senior management roles. This included the management and quality assurance of work-based learning provision. Mark is a qualified teacher with specific sector expertise in engineering and construction
Jassa Scott
Strategic Director, Estyn
Jassa leads Estyn’s work with post-16 sectors including further education, work-based learning, careers, adult learning in the community, learning in the justice sector, Welsh for adults and youth work. She also leads on advice to the Welsh Government and work on building capacity including effective practice. She oversees safeguarding, social justice, additional learning needs and inclusion as well as joint working with other inspection, audit and regulatory bodies.
Mark Campion
Assistant Director, Estyn
Mark is an Assistant Director at Estyn with responsibility for post-16 work. He’s been an HMI since 2012, inspecting local authorities, secondary schools, and a range of post-16 providers. Prior to joining Estyn, Mark worked for a local authority for around ten years, initially as an adviser to schools and then as a strategic leader for areas such as learners’ well-being and 14-19 learning. Mark started his career as a secondary school teacher.
Robert Nitsch
Chief Executive Officer Federation of Awarding Bodies
Robert is a life-long advocate of skills-based training and technical education who was appointed as the Chief Executive at the Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB) in August 2024.
He was previously the Director for Skills Delivery at the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) and responsible for the development, approval and assurance of technical qualifications and apprenticeships in England.
Robert is the Chair of Governors at the City of Portsmouth College, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), and Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).
Jo Creeden
Deputy Chief Executive and Responsible Officer Agored Cymru
Jo joined Agored Cymru in September 2015. Jo is responsible for the regulatory compliance of Agored Cymru, and the leadership of the management team within the Product Development /Quality, Standards and Regulation Directorate.
Jo is an accomplished education professional with a career spanning over 35 years in assessment, quality assurance, audit and compliance. During her career Jo has held various roles, including Director for Quality, Standards and Regulation, Regulation and Qualifications Manager, Quality Assurance Manager, Accreditation Manager, Staff Development Manager, Adult Community Learning Coordinator, Head of Training and Delivery, Lead Internal Quality Assurer, Lecturer and Assessor.
Agored Cymru is a proud member of the Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB). Jo is co-Chair of the FAB Wales group.
Nathan Evans
Qualifications Manager, Qualifications Wales
Nathan joined Qualifications Wales in 2017 as a member of the Research and Statistics team. Since moving to the Qualifications Policy and Reform directorate in 2019 he has had experience of working on a range of qualification reform projects, including in the ICT and construction and built environment sectors, as well as developing approval criteria for national 14-16 qualifications. He is now a member of the Modernising Assessment team working to explore how the effective use of digital technology can enhance validity in assessments.
Honor Taylor
Qualifications Manager, Qualifications Wales
Honor joined Qualifications Wales in 2019 and is currently leading the reform of Essential Skills Wales qualifications. Alongside her work on Essential Skills Wales qualifications, Honor has also worked on various sector reviews, the reform of construction and built environment qualifications and managed the grant portfolio. In 2024, Honor completed her Masters in Education, where her dissertation focused on the benefits of learners being able to use both English and Welsh within assessments.
Trudie Jones
Qualifications Officer, Qualifications Wales
Trudie joined Qualifications Wales in early 2023 after a career spanning almost 20 years as a teacher to embark on a new professional journey. Transitioning into the realm of qualification policy and reform, Trudie is now a member of the Essential Skills Wales team working on the reform of the Essential Skills Wales qualifications and is also the Grants manager, overseeing the grant portfolio.
Ros Protheroe
Training Director, Panda Education and Training
Ros Protheroe is an experienced educator and trainer with over 25 years in work-based learning. She began as an adult education tutor, moving into apprenticeships, quality, and leadership. As Training Director at Panda Education and Training, Ros supports practitioners with pedagogical approaches, edtech, learner motivation, and feedback. Passionate about empowering educators, she helps them enhance their skills and deliver high-quality teaching, supporting learners to reach their full potential.
Lisa O’Connor
Academic Manager, Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol
After initially training as a secondary teacher of Welsh, Lisa was appointed as Bilingual Champion in Pembrokeshire College. In that role, responsibilities included developing the delivery of bilingual learning across the subject areas and levels as well as implementing the Development Strategy published by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol in 2019. This was ideal grounding for stepping into the Academic Manager for FE and apprenticeships role within the Coleg where Lisa now leads the team supporting providers with the strategy. Lisa believes that the Welsh language belongs to eveyrone in Wales and that every individual has an important part to play in reaching the target of 1 million speakers by 2050.
Alaw Dafydd
Further Education and Apprenticeships Development Officer, Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol
Alaw works with colleges and apprenticeship providers to increase their Welsh medium provision. She is also responsible for commissioning the development of new Welsh medium and bilingual resources for further education and apprenticeship providers to use with their learners, with particular emphasis on supporting those less confident to follow as much of the resources through the medium of Welsh as possible.
Joshua Miles
Director for Wales, Learning and Work Institute
Joshua Miles is the Director for Wales at Learning and Work Institute leading on the activity in Wales and working in partnership with the Welsh Government and other key stakeholders. Previously, he was the Director at CPT Cymru and Head of Policy at FSB Wales. Joshua has also served on Welsh Government advisory bodies such as Transport for Wales’ Advisory Panel, the Valleys Taskforce and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales’ Research and Innovation Committee.
Hayden Llewellyn
Chief Executive, Education Workforce Council
Having joined the General Teaching Council for Wales (GTCW) at its inception in 2000, he held the posts of Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Executive, before the body was renamed (to become the EWC) and its remit extended in April 2015.
Hayden has extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, having also worked in further and higher education, the health service, policing, and for a multi-national retail company.
He has been a governor at a number of FE colleges in Wales over many years.
Mark Boucher
Managing Director, Future Digital Education
Mark brings 25 years of experience in film, TV and education, driven by a passion for production, cinematography, and editing. As a digital innovation specialist, he enhances learning through effective technology integration. Mark develops digital curricula and training programs designed to empower educators and students to utilise technology in the classroom and work environments. His expertise spans various educational technologies and he is dedicated to fostering an inclusive, engaging environment for all learners.
Charlie Hammond
AI Training Consultant
With over 30 years in education, Charlie Hammond has led impactful digital transformation, earning awards such as the Silver Award for Outstanding Use of Technology in Education. His experience spans teaching all levels, from Outdoor Adventurous Sports to PGCE courses. A specialist in EdTech and Artificial Intelligence, Charlie is passionate about empowering educators and learners to embrace innovation. Together with Mark Boucher, he develops forward-thinking solutions to enhance creativity, inclusion, and engagement through technology.
