The Future of Vocational and Technical Education Digital Conference

Fiona is the Chief Executive of Skills Federation, the voice of employer-led sector skills bodies. She is a Skills England Board Member; a Non-Executive Director at Youth Futures Foundation, the What Works Centre for youth employment; and a member of the Mayor of the West Midlands’ Council of Experts. Fiona has more than 25 years’ experience of developing and implementing evidence-based policies and programmes across lifelong learning, skills and employment.

Prior to her current role, Fiona was Head of Insights and Intelligence at West Midlands Combined Authority. She was previously Director of Policy and Research at Learning and Work Institute.

Will Richards is Head of the Skills Strategy Unit at the Department for Education. He has previously led skills strategy teams focused on government labour market priorities. Prior to this he worked in apprenticeships funding strategy. He started his career as a primary school teacher and keeps this connection through his role as a school governor.

Paul brings nearly 20 years of sector experience working across varying roles in the post-16 sector, working his way up from Lecturer to Vice Principal. Paul has led on 16-19 education programmes for young people, adult education programmes, English and maths, subcontracting and compliance, quality, high needs funding and most recently, apprenticeships.

Patrick has been working in the employment sector since 2015, beginning his career as a recruitment consultant in the finance tech sector for Hays recruitment. He joined the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) in 2018, initially as a legal advisor, before moving into policy and campaigns, focusing on employment rights, skills and compliance. Patrick moved to become Head of Policy for People and Work at the BCC last year, and is now leading the BCC’s work on the Employment Rights Act, skills policy and wider employment related issues.

Catherine joined AoC in June ‎2015 after working in further education for 14 years as a teacher, manager and latterly SLT member. While at college she had responsibility for 14-16 partnership provision including careers, LLDD foundation programmes, English and maths and was 14-19 strategic lead.

Working with a small team Catherine oversees AoC Policy work for 16 to 18-year-olds including SEND, careers, digital, student enrichment and qualifications including T levels. Catherine is currently working on the implications of qualification reform and Curriculum and Assessment Review for colleges and their students. She has recently been part of a joint AoC UCL team undertaking a Nuffield funded project on 14 to 16 provision in colleges and is working on a UFI project supporting use of digital technologies in colleges. Catherine was awarded an MBE for services to Further Education in 2025.

Grant Glendinning is Chief Executive and Group Principal of the Education Training Collective (Etc.), a group of further education colleges serving Teesside. Under his leadership, the group has achieved an Outstanding Ofsted rating, been designated as one of the UK’s Clean Energy Technical Excellence Colleges, and selected as a Qualifications Pioneer.

With more than 30 years’ experience in further education, Grant began his career in London before going on to hold principalship roles at Carlisle College and Newcastle College, part of NCG. Throughout his career, he has built a strong reputation for driving innovation in curriculum design, leading large-scale organisational and cultural transformation, and forging impactful partnerships with employers, universities, government and communities to improve skills, opportunity and economic growth.

Corrie Harris is the CEO at Loughborough College Group and brings over 33 years of experience in the Further Education sector, including a decade in Principal/CEO roles. She is deeply committed to delivering outstanding learning experiences and ensuring that the college she leads, meets the needs of local communities and employers. Corrie has led transformational change throughout her career, with particular strengths in teaching and learning, cultural development, and organisational leadership. Corrie is passionate about building a collaborative, student-centred culture across the organisation. She also has extensive expertise in the land-based sector and has played a key role in the success of two previous college mergers. Outside of work, Corrie enjoys musical theatre, spending time with family, and socialising with friends.

Corrie is very excited about joining the Public Leaders Programme. As a lifelong learner, she is looking forward to collaborating with colleagues from a variety of different organisations, in order to further develop her strategic thinking via a multitude of diverse perspectives.

Angela is the Chief Executive and Principal of The Sheffield College.

Angela is an accomplished further and higher education professional with more than 30 years’ experience across the sector. She possesses extensive knowledge of Ofsted and Office for Students requirements, safeguarding, awarding bodies, and higher education validation processes.

Throughout her career, she has held a range of senior leadership positions covering curriculum, student support, skills, employability, safeguarding, and equality, diversity, and inclusion. Her experience spans colleges across London, the South East, the North West, and South Yorkshire.

Angela also plays a prominent role in the region’s skills agenda, serving on the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Business Advisory Board and chairing both the Sheffield Skills and Employability Board and the South Yorkshire Skills Advisory Board.

Fiona is the Chief Executive of Skills Federation, the voice of employer-led sector skills bodies. She is a Skills England Board Member; a Non-Executive Director at Youth Futures Foundation, the What Works Centre for youth employment; and a member of the Mayor of the West Midlands’ Council of Experts. Fiona has more than 25 years’ experience of developing and implementing evidence-based policies and programmes across lifelong learning, skills and employment.

Prior to her current role, Fiona was Head of Insights and Intelligence at West Midlands Combined Authority. She was previously Director of Policy and Research at Learning and Work Institute.