Experience

SkillsHouse Bradford

• United Kingdom
• Human Resources Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Business Transformation - Skills & Employability - SkillsHouse Departmental Lead

  • Aug 2020 - Present

  - Core purpose to lead, develop and manage SkillsHouse and the partnership in alignment with the strategic ambitions set out in the District Workforce Development Plan of the local authority.- Responsible for ensuring the partnership investment and programme of work complements and maximises the impact on social, economic, educational, social mobility and health outcomes.- Provides programme management expertise to challenge and support the work stream board governing plan delivery, including organisational culture change, to enable and ensure the partnership and stakeholders deliver the ambitions plans set out for the district.- Initiated district wide collaboration with educators, employers and specialist services to simplify the local employment and skills landscape. - Accountable for overseeing a multi million £ budget, along with the implementation of new employability and skills programmes. - Responsible for the growth and mobilisation of the SkillsHouse workforce with the successfully implementation of an inclusive recruitment drive successfully taking the team from 8 to 50.- Driving change across the team to improve the culture through an effective coaching/champion model that has driven the improvement of better team work and collaboration.- Implementation of a 5 step talent pipeline model for all ESIF funded and non-funded programme to support with increasing the skilled and sustained employment opportunities.- Driving a single, responsive and employer-facing service offer that brings together business support, growth hubs and employer services that delivers a coherent offer to help businesses grow. - Pivotal in leading on the design and implementation of a new Skills House Partnership website, across the wider education and skills directorate and partnership. - Leading on the procurement and implementation of an award winning HR tech mentoring platform.



Intequal

• United Kingdom
• Technical and Vocational Training
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Talent & Skills Strategic Accounts Director - Digital & Technology Workforce Development

  • Apr 2019 - May 2020

  - Responsible for leading the executive board with the reshape of their long term growth strategy by driving the position of their brand into the space of apprenticeship levy and commercial digital and technology. Devised business plans to commercially market the brand across an established leadership and HR network and strategic partnerships.- Worked with leaders on the identification of skills solutions through understanding and interpreting strategic plans/ information. Led on all skills proposals and client presentations, including Tarmac and Briggs Equipment.- Led, developed and managed a research project and white paper that supported the project team identify the data skills solution required to equip businesses with a multi step solution to create a great data culture through the effective delivery of data literacy training. - Led the effective due diligence/management and implementation of a complex stakeholder apprenticeship transfer project of over 80 apprentices and their employers from an alternative training provision.- Led on the implementation of an innovative profiling platform designed to help jobseekers identify and promote their natural talents to future employers hiring apprentices.- Created and chaired in collaboration a series of HR & L&D forums with brands including Tarmac, Briggs Equipment, Matalan, ikle Homes and Balfour Beatty. The forum was to share best practice; gain peer support and sense check their own thinking on how best to execute great employee engagement across their business.



Working Links

• United Kingdom
• Professional Training and Coaching
• 300 - 400 Employee

• Talent & Skills Strategic Lead - Leadership & Management Workforce Development Specialist

  • Aug 2018 - Feb 2019

  •Facilitated conversations with business leaders, HR and L&D professionals on a variety of workforce development and talent transformation projects. Proposed skills solutions in the area of leadership and management that supported their businesses with attracting and retaining the right talent. •Effectively engaged influenced and challenged senior stakeholders of a leading law firm through strong leadership and communication to shift the mindset on the use of Apprenticeships opposed to a tradition educational pathway to develop their managers and leaders within their sector. Devised an apprenticeship programme that aligned in with their core values and behaviours and also supported the business with creating a culture of coaching as part of its wider strategy.•Worked closely with the delivery team on the creation of a coaching workshop to be designed and used as part of any leadership and management apprenticeship programme. •Thought leader expert at a 200+ member’s only employee engagement forum. Provided skills advise into the group through on and off line networking and focus group sessions delivered throughout the year.•Working Links ceased trading on 22nd February 2019.



Derwentside College

• United Kingdom
• Education Administration Programs
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Talent & Skills Strategic Lead - Apprenticeship Levy Consultant

  • Apr 2017 - Aug 2018

  •Successfully supported HR and L&D leads with developing apprenticeship and skills programmes that aligned with their future work planning strategies and employee engagement strategy.•Created programmes to support with identifying future managers/leaders that linked into the businesses succession plans. Programmes that enhanced the process improvement skills of engineers in an environment where lean process improvement processes were being introduced to the business. •Worked closely with the curriculum and training teams with the design and delivery of all new programmes. Ensured all objectives of the employer were aligned to the initial design of the programmes and monitored throughout the learner journey.•Channelled expertise through a range of social media activities. Created content that engaged HR and L&D business professionals to discuss and share best practise in the areas of talent transformation, employee engagement and talent attraction.•Clients included Vestas, Speedy Hire, Centre Island Group (IHG Hotel Chain). Designed and delivered empowering apprenticeship and added value skills programmes that were aligned to the client’s workforce development plans. Accessed apprenticeship levy funds ranging between £50,000 to in excess of £1,000,000 to achieve the results rather than utilising other learning and development budgets.



Babington

• United Kingdom
• Education Administration Programs
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Strategic Apprenticeship & Skills Account Specialist

  • May 2014 - Mar 2017

  •Accountable for facilitating meetings with HR and L&D leads to identify appropriate apprenticeship solutions for various areas of their workforce. Proposed solutions that linked with future workforce plans and their employee engagement strategy to ensure employees were skilled appropriately and in line with business needs and objectives. Reduced the use of the L&D budget through the use of government funding for skills.•Supported a multi sited manufacturing organisations with the implementation and facilitation of a high volume function skills project. Assessed over 300 employees to identify learning levels against the companies’ benchmark. Created learning interventions for those below the benchmark though blended learning solutions. Supported the business with creating a future recruitment strategy that ensured a minimum level of functional skill was achieved as part of their recruitment process.•Designed and implemented a food manufacturing apprenticeship programme that over 100 employees progressed and achieved. The programme was created as a route way for employee’s personal development but also for the business to identify their future management across the production workforce.•Implemented a multi site leadership and management programme into a large distribution business which formed part of their succession strategy.

• Employability Operations Manager

  • Oct 2014 - Apr 2015

  •Operational lead for Traineeship, Study Programme and Adult Education Budget programmes across the North West.•Accountable for empowering 15 tutors and specialist employability trainers delivering classroom based delivery.•Designed and implemented a successful AEB employability programme, worked in strategic partnership with the local Job Centre Plus offices to support their clients with obtaining skills to get them closer to the jobs market.•Delivered regular team meetings to ensure the team aligned with the expectations of the programme on a monthly basis.•Created a culture of coaching within the team. Experts in the team would coach and train those in areas they identified as development areas.•Supported the team with understanding how their objectives needed to be aligned with the objectives of the contracts. . •Identified and addressed performance and operational issues within the team and raised recommended areas for improvement in line with the employability objectives.•Provided accurate MI giving an accurate understanding of performance levels to enable appropriate business decisions to be made.•Responsible for the accurate assessment of staff performance. Tracked success rates and ensured quality training was provided •Empowered the team to deliver excellence for their learners, whilst meeting and/or exceeding contract targets. Drove change in a positive and influential manner within the team.•Full involvement with OfSted inspections



Pinnacle People

• United Kingdom
• Staffing and Recruiting
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Performance & Supply Chain Manager

  • Jan 2013 - Oct 2014

  •Accountable for ensuring Paragon and the Supply Chain meet their committed schedules of activity and for customers to experience excellent customer service. ESF contract for families with multiple problems in Cornwall•Responsible for driving the performance of the contract; maintaining a positive and effective relationship with the deliver partners.•Supported in the delivery of this contract by a wider team within the company who set standards on performance, audit and contract management.•Delivered results through others and effectively manage resources.•Worked independently, with a right first-time approach and excellent attention to detail and on time completion of work.•Energetic, hands on style which is proactive in-service delivery and problem solving. Strong commitment to the personal development and achievement of people.•Natural ability to work with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to ensure the success of the contract.•Responsible for operational quality assurance and control processes.•Responsible for ensuring the service flexed at a local level to meet customer requirements. Played a key role in achieving the Merlin accreditation award.

• Senior Compliance Consultant

  • Jan 2012 - Jan 2013

  •Part of a Quality and Compliance team that managed the Compliance of multiple contracts including the Work Programme, European Social Funding and Mandatory Work Activity for a variety of Welfare to Work Prime Contractors•Responsible for ensuring 100% compliance of all payment claims approved across all contracts; ensured evidence was in place to underpin the Outcome •Ensured all paperwork and records were contractually compliant to meet funding awarding body requirements.•Developed a close working relationship with Service Delivery; to assist in driving forward continuous improvement and raising Contract awareness along with best practice.•Delivered an effective translation of Audit findings into a meaningful report for other business functions to ensure corrective actions were undertaken and completed as required.•Full understood DWP and ESF contractual requirements. Facilitated DWP PAT audits

• Employability Coach/Trainer

  • May 2010 - Dec 2011



Professional Recruitment Partner

• United Kingdom
• Financial Services

• Senior Recruitment Consultant - Human Resources L&D Specialist

  • Jun 2007 - May 2010



TheWorkpoint

• Cyprus
• Translation and Localization
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Recruitment Branch Manager

  • 2007 - 2008



Manpower

• United States
• Staffing and Recruiting
• 700 & Above Employee

• Permanent Commercial Recruitment Consultant

  • 2002 - 2004



REED

• United Kingdom
• Staffing and Recruiting
• 700 & Above Employee

• Recruitment Consultant/Team Leader

  • 1997 - 2001