Careers and Destinations Strategies for Schools Digital Conference

As Chief Executive of the UK’s professional body for career development, David supports career development practitioners and champions the profession with governments, stakeholders and the public across the UK. David is a member of the Careers England Board and the Career Development Policy Group, is a member of the Department for Education’s Task and Finish Group for Widening Access to Higher Education as well as the Advisory Group for Nuffield Foundation-funded research into AI in careers. He was a Commissioner on the Skills Commission inquiry into Skills 2030 and was on the Advisory Groups for Discover! Creative Careers and the WWF’s careers programme.

David’s background includes a decade working in education, first at City & Guilds then at AQA, bringing experience of both vocational and academic education. He is also Vice Chair of The Rainforest Foundation, protecting indigenous people’s rights.

Beth Jones is Head of Programmes for the Gatsby Foundation. Gatsby is committed to securing good career guidance for all, building STEM skills in the workforce, technical education reform, and science and maths in schools.

Beth Jones has led Gatsby’s work to strengthen England’s careers system for more than a decade. Working closely with schools, colleges, government and the careers community, she has built an influential programme founded on robust evidence, rigorous piloting and sustained partnership.

Beth led the implementation of the Gatsby Benchmarks, which now provide the framework for careers provision across schools and colleges in England and are embedded in national policy. She has overseen their recent review and renewal, ensuring that the Benchmarks continue to reflect both the latest evidence and the realities facing young people and education providers.

Internationally, Beth has advised policymakers and sector leaders developing national approaches to careers guidance. She has served on a number of advisory boards across the education and careers sectors and has also been a governor for a group of London schools.

Carolyn is the Head of Careers Services for young people and World skills UK at the Department for Education, she currently shares this role as part of a job-share with Greg Boone. The team manages the grant arrangements with the Careers & Enterprise Company and with WorldSkills UK.

She has a passion for her work and trying to make a difference to young people’s lives and has previously worked at local and regional level before working for DfE in a national role. Her previous roles included several key national roles working on Apprenticeships, NEET prevention and several policy, delivery and communications roles.

Some of her key achievements include helping to establish the National Apprenticeship Service and the digital service Find an Apprenticeship to connect people to employers and training providers advertising Apprenticeship job roles and establishing the Apprenticeship Skills and Knowledge (ASK) programme in schools and FE colleges.

She was recognised for her work in skills and apprenticeships and awarded an OBE in 2021.

When not working, Carolyn enjoys travel, keep fit and is involved in voluntary and charitable work, she is married with two grown up children.

Greg is a career civil servant who has worked in a variety of employment and education-related policy and delivery roles. With Carolyn Savage, Greg heads up the Department for Education’s (DfE’s) Careers Services for Young People Unit which manages DfE’s relationships with the Careers & Enterprise Company and with WorldSkills UK. Greg’s previous roles include working on the Opportunity Area Programme, Disabled Students’ Allowance, Free Schools Programme, the Child Poverty Unit and on Widening Participation in Higher Education.

Tony Payne is the Careers Lead and Employability Manager at Ashton Sixth Form College, where he leads the strategic development and delivery of careers education, employability, work placements, and employer engagement for over 2,000 students. With extensive experience in helping young people navigate their next steps, Tony works closely with businesses, universities, apprenticeship providers, and community organisations to create meaningful opportunities that prepare students for the world of work. He is passionate about ensuring every young person has access to high-quality careers guidance and the skills needed to succeed in an evolving labour market.

After qualifying as a teacher in 1992 Jo was appointed Assistant Headteacher at a secondary school in Bradford in 2012 and became the school’s first Career Leader. In this role Jo introduced an Aspire2B program across all 3 key stages and was delighted to receive ‘Outstanding School in the North’ from the Careers and Enterprise Company for developing a meaningful and progressive CEIAG program.

In 2020 she was appointed as Director of CEIAG for Co-op Academies Trust. Jo is passionate about ensuring all of her academies provide the very best enrichment opportunities for the students to enable them to make informed and incisive decisions throughout, and beyond, their school life. By using the Gatsby benchmarks as a framework for best practice the academies have CEIAG programs that meet the need for an ever changing cohort and an ever changing economic landscape. The programs are designed to inspire, raise aspirations and give the students an optimistic outlook on life and their place in the world of work. All of their secondary academies, and the majority of their primaries, have secured the Quality in Careers standard which formally acknowledges the exemplary work that is taking place and the high profile that CEIAG has. Indeed the Trust is one of the highest performing MATs in regards to meeting the Gatsby benchmarks.

Isabel Smith joined The Piggott School, part of the Agape Multi Academy Trust, in September 2025. Bringing a mix of corporate and freelance experience to the role she is able to inspire students with a wealth of interesting personal experiences, as well as bringing an innovative approach to continuous improvement of the school’s already excellent careers provision.

Tariq Sadiq is the Head of Careers at Hills Road Sixth Form College, an Outstanding college in Cambridge, and is a Board Appointed Director of the CDI.  He is the author of ‘The Employer Engagement Handbook: Strategies for success in schools and colleges’. (due to be published November 2026).  Before joining the careers profession, Tariq was a fundraiser and Development Director in various universities, a think tank, and an international NGO.  He has also been an elected county councillor and a parliamentary candidate.

Gary joined Batley Girls’ High School (an 11 – 18 comprehensive school) as Headteacher in September 2023, having previously been the Headteacher at Batley Grammar School (a through-school in Batley Multi Academy Trust). Prior to this, Gary taught in a large 11-18 comprehensive school in Leeds before taking up the initial post of Deputy Head at Batley Grammar School and progressing to Headteacher there.

Gary’s subject specialism is Economics and Business Studies. Throughout his teaching career, he has also taught Law to 14-18 year olds.

Gary is keen to ensure that all young people grasp the opportunities available to them, which school and education can provide, so that they can become positive successful role models in the community.

Appointed as Careers Leader in September 2025 and holding a Level 6 qualification in Careers Leadership, Amneet is dedicated to inspiring students to discover their full potential and broaden their horizons across Batley Girls’ High School and College. Having served Batley Girls’ High School (an 11–18 comprehensive school) community since 2006, Amneet brings over 19 years of educational experience to the role, having initially started in academic mentoring and pastoral roles before spending eight years as a core member of the Careers Team.

Amneet leads impactful, purpose-driven programmes across all curriculum areas while collaborating closely within the Multi-Academy Trust to strengthen connections and best practice across the organisation.

Focusing on building strong professional networks, coordinating vital Higher Education visits, and creating engaging employer events, Amneet ensures students are empowered to make ambitious, informed decisions about their next steps. Always keen to expand opportunities for learners, Amneet welcomes connections with industry experts interested in sharing their expertise or supporting upcoming careers initiatives.

Tessa is an experienced education leader with over 20 years’ experience across further and secondary education. Having begun her career in further education, she has held a range of senior leadership positions, including Head of Department in Surrey, Head of College in Cornwall, and Head of Education and Pastoral Operations in Oxfordshire.

Tessa is currently Principal of Torlands Academy  and Lead for Careers across the Trust, where she has been in post for seven years. She is passionate about ensuring that careers education is embedded within the wider student experience and plays a central role in supporting young people to develop confidence, aspirations and clear pathways beyond education.

Her work focuses particularly on supporting learners from diverse backgrounds and those facing barriers to education, ensuring that careers programmes are personalised, purposeful and connected to individual strengths, interests and future aspirations. She is committed to creating meaningful employer and work experience opportunities and to ensuring that every young person is supported to progress into the right destination for them.

Tessa brings extensive experience of leadership, careers education, student engagement and partnership working, with a strong commitment to equity, aspiration and preparation for adulthood.

Nicola Hall is Director of Education at The Careers & Enterprise Company, where she leads national strategy for careers education, work experience and learner progression across England. A former Headteacher of two secondary schools, including the founding Principal of a pioneering employer-led Studio School, Nicola has spent more than two decades developing education systems that connect young people to meaningful futures.

In 2026, Nicola was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study how Australia and Canada design work-connected learning, progression pathways and transitions from education into employment. Her Fellowship has informed a growing body of work exploring how England could modernise work experience and consider how purposeful progression better connects curriculum, technical education, employers and place-based partnerships.

An international speaker on careers education and work experience reform, Nicola is recognised for bringing together policy, research and practical system leadership to develop ambitious, evidence-informed reforms that improve equity and strengthen learner agency.

Ross Doohan is the Careers Lead at The Heights Blackburn, an alternative provision school where he has worked since 2018. He has served as Careers Leader since January 2020 and holds a Level 6 qualification in Careers Leadership. Ross has extensive experience across mainstream and secondary education.

Alongside his careers role, Ross is a Middle Leader for Behaviour and a member of the safeguarding team. His work is underpinned by a strong commitment to supporting pupils’ wellbeing, personal development and future pathways.

Ross contributed to the Gatsby Benchmarks 10-year review as an expert practitioner and is an active member of the Lancashire Careers Hub. He leads a Community of Practice and regularly delivers workshops to support the development of high-quality careers education, information, advice and guidance.

In addition, Ross chairs the EPT Trust Quality Improvement Group for CEIAG and serves as Vice-Chair of Governors at a high school in Wigan, where he is the link governor for CEIAG, Personal Development and Curriculum. He also has four years’ experience as a Staff Governor and three years’ experience as a governor at a pupil referral unit in Blackpool.

Gill is a senior strategic leader with over 20 years’ experience delivering national and local programmes across education, business, and the public sector.

As Strategic Careers Hub Lead, Gill manages the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Careers Hub, delivered in partnership with The Careers & Enterprise Company, the national body for careers education in England. The role provides strategic coordination of a region‑wide partnership bringing together schools, colleges, and employers across a broad range of sectors, ensuring careers education is aligned with both national policy priorities and local labour‑market needs.

Working with employers via a coordinated Employer Network, Gill strengthens employer engagement to support meaningful encounters, high‑quality work experience, and clear progression pathways. This approach enables businesses to address skills gaps, develop future talent, and contribute to inclusive growth, while supporting education providers and careers leaders to embed the Gatsby Benchmarks and deliver consistent, high‑quality careers provision.

Gill provides strategic oversight of high‑quality, inclusive work experience, embedding learning from national and regional pilots into scalable delivery, including Liverpool City Region’s participation as one of four Combined Authority areas selected to develop modern work experience through The Careers & Enterprise Company’s equalex framework. This work ensures equity of access, consistency of quality, and measurable impact, so that every young person is supported to understand their options, build confidence, and take their next best step.

Hyla Grimwade is a strategic leader with extensive experience in careers education, skills development and employer engagement across education, local government and business. As Strategic Careers Hub Lead for the Greater Essex Careers Hub, hosted by Southend-on-Sea City Council, she leads a region-wide partnership supporting schools, colleges, employers and stakeholders across Essex, Southend and Thurrock. Working in partnership with The Careers & Enterprise Company, she provides strategic leadership to strengthen careers education, improve destination outcomes and support successful transitions for young people.

Her work focuses on building sustainable employer engagement, developing innovative approaches to work experience, embedding youth voice in programme design, and ensuring equitable access to opportunities for all learners, including those with SEND and at risk of becoming NEET. Hyla is passionate about using careers education as a driver of social mobility, skills development and economic growth, helping every young person take their best next step.

Michelle Stanley is Education Lead Advisor at Kent County Council and the strategic lead for the Pathways for All programme, focused on strengthening inclusive Post-16 education and curriculum pathways.

She brings extensive experience across the education system, having worked as a teacher, literacy specialist, school improvement adviser, local authority officer and senior leader. Michelle has led multi-disciplinary teams including Curriculum and Standards, and School Improvement teams, and has contributed at a national level through a secondment to the Department for Education as Academy School Improvement Expert to the Regional Schools Commissioner.

Michelle is committed to improving life chances for all young people through high-quality, inclusive education. Her work is underpinned by an understanding of the value of literacy, child development, and evidence-informed practice.  She is passionate about supporting the system and strengthening pathways that enable all learners to progress and succeed.

Chris is Headteacher and Northfleet School for Girls in Gravesend, a non-selective secondary school within a grammar school area.  He has 22 years experience in senior leadership and 12 years as Headteacher at Northfleet School for Girls (NSfG).  NSfG has a very clear vision which supports students to ‘Dream Big and Achieve’ which includes developing aspirational careers.  Neet’s are significantly below national average, Russell Group applications are rising and students have attained places at Oxbridge despite PPG levels being around 40%.  There has been strong use of Alumni to inspire students into exciting careers, such as Law, Medicine and Architecture.

In addition to this, Chris is Chair of the LCPA groups for Pathways for All in Kent.  These groups work to engage local schools in ensuring all students have appropriate pathways post 16, effective transition and valued careers support.  A highly ‘moral purpose’ focused approach has helped to ensure positive collaboration amongst leaders and a sense of urgency to address the issue of rising NEETs.   These groups particularly focus on the ‘forgotten third’ who have not achieved level 4 English and Math’s, yet are just as deserving of an aspirational qualification and career pathway.

As Chief Executive of the UK’s professional body for career development, David supports career development practitioners and champions the profession with governments, stakeholders and the public across the UK. David is a member of the Careers England Board and the Career Development Policy Group, is a member of the Department for Education’s Task and Finish Group for Widening Access to Higher Education as well as the Advisory Group for Nuffield Foundation-funded research into AI in careers. He was a Commissioner on the Skills Commission inquiry into Skills 2030 and was on the Advisory Groups for Discover! Creative Careers and the WWF’s careers programme.

David’s background includes a decade working in education, first at City & Guilds then at AQA, bringing experience of both vocational and academic education. He is also Vice Chair of The Rainforest Foundation, protecting indigenous people’s rights.