Kelly is an experienced events manager in the FE and skills sector. With a career beginning as an apprentice at the University of Bristol, Kelly then progressed into events management joining AELP in 2011. From 2011-2019, Kelly was instrumental in building and managing the events programme at AELP. Kelly has successfully developed and managed teams to deliver a wide range of events from workshops and training events to large scale and high-profile national conferences. Kelly joined SDN in January 2020 to continue this work to manage and build SDN’s Event Programme.

Nicki is an experienced executive and has worked in Customer Services for over 20 years, with 13 of those being for a large financial institution in the city of London and 3 for a Kent based charity. Nicki has fantastic organisation skills and excels in keeping business operations running smoothly.

Chloe is a Marketing Executive with experience in data management and design. She has a particular aptitude for branding, standardisation, and analytics. Chloe had 5 years of experience as an Office Administrator in small business and also gained experience in HR, management and finance in this position. She joined SDN in 2020 to work within the education sector and solidify her role in marketing and data management.

Karen is a high-level administrator and coordinator with over 25 years of experience predominantly working within the education and skills sector on Government and stakeholder funded projects. She is skilled at programme coordination, event management, business administration and fostering productive relationships. Previously associated with SDN, Karen re-joins the company to provide her expertise in operational support.

Aimee has over 11 years of experience in learning and development, working in the construction and professional services industries. She specialises in coordinating training events of all sizes, in person and online. She has a keen ability to manage all aspects of event planning and execution, guaranteeing each event runs smoothly and delegates have a seamless and impactful learning experience.

Ruth is an experienced senior manager with a demonstrated history of working in the education, training and skills sector. She is skilled in research, planning and development, stakeholder engagement, and partnership development. Ruth joined SDN in early 2022 as our Employer Partnerships Manager, with a particular focus on the Education Landscape.

Carly has 15 years experience in the education and skills sector which includes founding and running a training provider. She has experience in designing qualifications and maintaining strong partnerships with the business community. As Partnerships Manager at SDN, her role includes a strong focus on The Education Landscape, supporting SME’s to take advantage and engage with our education system at all levels.

Stephen is an experienced Operations and Quality Director with a strong, commercial and quality background across a range of sectors. He's a delivery focused funded learning and apprenticeships professional with proven ability in change and programme management. With over 16 years’ experience in curriculum delivery, design, strategy and leadership, he's a dynamic leader with extensive experience in strategy development, consultancy, change management, business improvement and coaching.

Bradley Goldsworthy is a dedicated and creative professional who brings over 12 years of experience in delivery, curriculum, management, and governance predominantly in the field of Apprenticeships. Bradley has consistently found unique and effective solutions for delivering impactful educational programs. His deep understanding of apprenticeships, coupled with his creativity has helped him successfully navigate the complexities of the FE sector.

Karen has more than 20 years of knowledge, skills and management experience in FE. She has developed and managed apprenticeships from all relevant angles; as an employer, training provider, consultant, policy and senior manager for the Skills Funding Agency. Karen works with employers, training providers and colleges and is committed to driving quality, progression and business growth. She meets challenges and demands head on and works with a positive and pragmatic approach to make things happen.

With an extensive background spanning over 28 years in the Further Education (FE) and skills sector, Anna’s expertise encompasses roles within both policy and funding bodies, as well as hands-on experience within the delivery sector. Anna works closely with providers, employers and FE sector representative bodies on a range of projects including the successful development and implementation of key programmes such as Apprenticeships, T Levels, Advanced Learner Loans, Traineeships and Bootcamps.

Carole has been working in the FE sector for over 20 years. She has a strong track record in quality standards and supporting organisations to improve. As part of this, she has extensive experience of Ofsted inspections and has managed a number of large-scale projects. Carole is also the co-owner of Mesma (self-assessment and improvement software).

Following a career in the public sector, Breda has been engaged in FE and skills since 2001. She has worked with several sector skills councils, and public sector bodies promoting workforce development through standards and qualifications. Breda has worked extensively with providers engaged in delivery of Apprenticeships and has supported the development and implementation of Trailblazer Apprenticeship Standards.

Simon has worked in people development for almost the whole of his career. As an independent consultant he joined the team which developed quality standards for work-based learning and setup the first inspectorate, now part of Ofsted. He has led international education and training research and now dedicates his time to helping organisations gain as much benefit as possible from the new apprenticeship levy, aligning it with their wider skills and people strategies. He is also a graduate of Oxford University.

Mandy has a strong track record of managing national and strategically important projects in vocational education and skills, including the successful Higher Apprenticeship programme on behalf of the National Apprenticeship Service. Having worked extensively with government departments, providers in HE/FE, awarding organisations, professional bodies and employers, Mandy has developed effective business and commercial partnerships. Mandy specialises in research, contract management and policy development.

Erica Farmer, Founder and Director of Welcome Two and Co-Founder and Business Director of Quantum Rise Talent Group, has over 20 years of designing and delivering learning and development programmes in both large and small organisations. Erica has a depth of experience with apprenticeships and funded learning, including a unique and specialist mix of experience having been both a levy decision maker and a provider lead, chairing the customer service trailblazer and sitting on various apprenticeship provider boards.

Hayley Bird is the Co-Founder and Delivery Director of Quantum Rise Talent Group and has 10 years in employability and corporate learning and development. Hayley has been a lead virtual facilitator for various virtual faculties and now supports the Quantum Rise Associate Delivery Partner team to deliver programmes and sessions.

Phil Golding

Phil Golding, Managing Director of Supplytrain CIC, has over 15 years’ experience in marketing and business development of apprenticeships and work-based learning. Phil works closely with employers to help them maximise government-funded training, develop talent pipelines and overcome barriers to apprenticeship engagement. He also supports education providers to attract and retain new employer clients and drive sustainable work-based learning growth.

Paul has been appointed as an Education Advisor to the DfE each year for the last seven years. This is in addition to his wider consultancy work within the education and training sector, which includes many of the UK's leading awarding organisations and IfATE. Paul works on a wide range of policy, research, evaluation and quality assurance initiatives, most recently focussed on the development of the new T-Level qualifications.

Sam is an enthusiastic and experienced educator with a proven track record (15 years) in achieving outcomes consistently above national average, via a responsive curriculum offer serving the needs of the community. She is a successful manager of curriculum teams working collaboratively to deliver topical and engaging content rated OFSTED outstanding, and a highly experienced maths and English manager, now providing training and consultancy services and interim support to education providers.

With over 20 years of leadership and management experience in a variety post 16 education sectors, Mark has a wealth of knowledge and practical experience of how to be successful within senior and executive roles. In recent executive positions, Mark has experience of leading a sixth form college as Principal and Chief Executive of an independent training provider. As Vice Chair of an Interim Executive Board, he has also overseen the academisation of a school. Now as a Managing Director at Evoko, Mark continues to utilise his experience in assisting education and training providers to maximise their potential through interim placement, mentoring support and curriculum product development.

Drawing on over 30 years of experience working across further, vocational & technical education, Claire has a broad knowledge and understanding of curriculum development, assessment, organisational leadership and regulation. Having worked in and with FE colleges, as well as government agencies and regulators, Claire has particular expertise in helping colleges, providers, schools and awarding organisations in understanding and implementing policy expectations. Claire’s mentoring of new managers and leaders continues to benefit them, their teams and their organisations.