Emily is the CEO of the Association of Apprentices, a national membership organisation dedicated to improving outcomes for apprentices by facilitating peer support and connection across the UK. The Association has a significant presence in the apprenticeship community with over 40,000 apprentice members, and a broader community of over 150,000 apprentices across its 100+ partners. In recognition of its impact, the Association was named Best Purpose Driven People Community by Investors in People in 2023.

With over 25 years of experience in talent development and 12 years dedicated to apprenticeships and skills, Emily has held senior roles in both corporate and training provider settings, including as Head of Apprenticeships in the banking sector. She also serves as a Director of The St Martin’s Group, a cross-sector body influencing policy to build a sustainable, high-quality, employer-led skills system.

Gemma is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Skills England. She formerly worked at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, where she most recently served as the Director of Education, Work, and Skills.

Simon is currently the Director of Policy and Deputy CEO for the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) and is responsible for developing and implementing AELP’s policy approach, including responding to and influencing stakeholder policy and ensuring it is in line with the Board’s short and long-term objectives.
AELP is a national membership body, proudly representing around 800 organisations. AELP members support thousands of businesses and millions of learners in England by delivering a wide range of training, vocational learning, and employability programmes.

Simon joined AELP in January 2017 and has worked in the further education and skills sector for over twenty years in a range of strategic and operational roles with different training providers and employers.

Dr Peter Wilson is Head of Public Policy at the Youth Futures Foundation, where he works to shape a fairer labour market for young people, particularly those facing the greatest barriers to employment. Peter brings expertise in education, skills, and labour market policy. Prior to joining Youth Futures, he led research, engagement, and impact at Policy Connect, supporting the work of the Skills Commission and the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Skills, Careers & Employment. He holds a PhD at the intersection of politics, philosophy, and economics, with research focused on how labour market policy should respond to involuntary unemployment. He is passionate about bridging rigorous research and real-world policymaking to tackle inequality and improve outcomes for young and marginalised people.

Phoebe Sarjant is a Policy Advisor at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), where the team aims to provide a voice for the UK’s 5.5 million small businesses and the self-employed. She leads on the education and skills, childcare, and women in enterprise policy portfolios. FSB publish regular reports on a range of topics that affect small businesses, including FSB’s quarterly confidence report, and the Scaling up Skills report – an in depth look at how skills policy affects small businesses. Prior to joining FSB, Phoebe was a Policy Analyst at the Bar Council.

Dan is the Policy Director at the Federation of Awarding Bodies, supporting awarding organisations and EPAOs with policy change across the technical education and skills system. The Federation of Awarding Bodies is the trade association for the UK’s qualifications and assessment industry and its members are responsible for a significant proportion of end-point assessments. Prior to working at the Federation, Dan spent 5 years at IfATE working on T Levels and apprenticeship policy and delivery.

Richard Mortimer is Head of Economy, Work and Skills at Stockport Council, leading strategies to boost inclusive economic growth, employment, and skills development. With over 20 years’ experience in local government, he has delivered borough-wide economic and skills programmes, forged strong partnerships, and secured investment to support businesses and residents. Richard completed a degree-level apprenticeship in Leadership in the Public Sector in 2022 and is currently studying for a masters level degree apprenticeship in leadership, reflecting his commitment to lifelong learning and professional development. A Chartered Manager and member of the Chartered Management Institute, Richard combines expertise in strategic commissioning, financial management, and stakeholder engagement with a passion for equality and inclusion.

Allan has over two decades of leadership experience within the apprenticeship, work-based learning, and Further Education sectors. For the past 13 years, he has been part of the Leadership Team at Salford City College, where he holds strategic responsibility for all apprenticeship and employer engagement activity. Allan holds several influential positions across the region: he is Chair of the Greater Manchester Colleges Apprenticeship Board, a Director of the Greater Manchester Learning Provider Network, and Vice Chair of the Governing Body at Wardle Academy. He is passionate about ensuring the FE sector, especially apprenticeships are inclusive, not exclusive, and he is motivated by creating opportunities and high-quality pathways that enable individuals to succeed and progress in their chosen careers

James Walker is the Director of Apprenticeships at Manchester Metropolitan University. Since joining the University in 2015, at the inception of the University’s Apprenticeships Unit, James has played a vital role in the development and delivery of its programmes. Under his leadership, the University has been rated by Ofsted as ‘Outstanding’ consecutively and has fostered an extensive network of employer partnerships with over 700 UK-based employers, including large multinationals, public sector organisations, and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises.  Manchester Met is rated as an ‘Excellent’ provider by both its employers and apprentices.

Dr Jacqueline Hall is Head of Apprenticeships and Skills at BAE Systems Plc, who place apprenticeships at the heart of a dynamic defence and digital business. BAE Systems currently supports more than 5000 apprentices across Air, Maritime, Land and Digital sectors across 60 different standards. Our apprenticeship recruitment has increased 500% in the last five years with completion rates more than 94% supporting an Ofsted Outstanding grade. We have recruited c1200 apprentices in September 2025, of which c28% were women. 88% of our programmes are within the STEM sector.  We are currently recruiting circa 1100 for starts in September 2026 to meet demand within the business. Working with our Australian business, she has supported the design of the first degree apprenticeship in country, in software engineering and systems engineering. She takes a strategic role in leading the design, development and maintenance of employer led standards, working with key employers, stakeholders & industry regulators to secure a sustainable pipeline of diverse talent across the supply chain within aerospace and maritime industries

Jacqueline has extensive national and international experience within the education and skills landscape in particular for apprenticeships, creating employer led standards across industries critical to national infrastructure and leading the creation the first end-point assessment organisation to have achievements on standards. She is currently the Chair of the Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Standards & Framework & an associate for Education Scotland on their Modern Apprenticeship Review. She also has extensive international experience, having set up a successful education business for a UK plc, focussed around school inspection and educational software in the Middle East. She has previously worked as an associate inspector for Ofsted & Education Scotland and led a team building and maintaining qualifications across the devolved nations, including T levels for the engineering sector.

Chris Rawlinson is the Group Head of Learning & Development at DJH, a UK based accountancy and business advisory group that offers a wide range of services, including audit, tax, payroll, and corporate finance. DJH are an award winning, B-Corp certified firm with 17 offices across the UK made up of over 750 staff with over 200 apprentices.

After qualifying AAT via the apprenticeship route, Chris joined Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group in 2008, training as an Assessor and Internal Verifier, supporting an annual caseload of 70-100 learners across Staffordshire and beyond. As well as going on to achieve the CMI Diploma in First Line Management in 2015, before being awarded the internal ‘Outstanding Contribution By An Assessor Award’ in 2016, Chris was part of the work-based learning team that lead the college to be rated “outstanding” by Ofsted in 2019 – the first college to do so under the new inspection framework.

In summer 2021, Chris joined Stoke-on-Trent based DJH as their first Learning & Development Co-ordinator, a new role designed to support apprentices and students alike. Since then, DJH has grown from 3 offices to 17, circa 100 staff to 750+, and 30 learners to 200+. After 32 months of being in the role, the DJH L&D Team began to grow and flourish with the arrival of new members. Today, in addition to Chris, the Team is made up of 3 former Talent Coach/Assessor/Skills Coach’s, all of whom are solely responsible for supporting a caseload of DJH learners, in addition to assisting with all manner of Group L&D. Additionally, the Team boast the support of an Early Careers Executive who, as part of L&D, is exclusively available to oversee Group Early Careers recruitment, a rolling 12-month process.

In 2024, Chris led the business to the number one Top 50 SME Apprenticeship Employer in England, having clinched the fourteenth spot in 2023. As well as an invite to The House of Commons to collect the award, Chris was personally invited to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace earlier this year, celebrating and recognising his work in Education and Skills in, both, the private and public sector.

With over 34 years of NHS experience, I began my journey as a student nurse at the Royal Liverpool Hospital in April 1991. After qualifying, I worked as a registered nurse before moving into education within the NHS,  a transition that allowed me to discover my true passion: supporting others to grow and succeed.

I initially focused on helping Healthcare Assistants achieve NVQs in Health, paving the way for many to progress into nursing careers. This passion evolved into a broader commitment to championing educational and career development opportunities for staff across all professions, particularly through the use of apprenticeship programmes.

My role has since expanded to include supporting the widening participation agenda, helping to break down barriers and improve access to NHS careers for underrepresented groups. I’m especially driven to provide advice and guidance to our local communities, supporting health equity through employment, career support, and meaningful opportunities.

I am also a strong advocate for inspiring and encouraging young people to choose the NHS as a fulfilling and lifelong career path.

Sarah began her career as an apprentice, which ignited a lifelong passion for championing apprenticeships as a powerful route to attract exceptional talent, nurture new skills, and deliver lasting value to both individuals and organisations. As Head of Early Careers at Auto Trader, a leading FTSE 100 tech employer in Manchester, Sarah leads the strategy for emerging talent and, with her team, oversees a diverse portfolio of programmes—including Apprenticeships, Graduate schemes, Internships, T Levels, Career Changers, and outreach initiatives.

Her commitment to quality and innovation is reflected in her previous role on the Employer Quality Board for Digital Apprenticeships and as a trailblazer employer. Sarah is also a STEM Ambassador, Enterprise Advisor, Chartered Member of the CIPD, and Associate Member of the EMCC, actively supporting the development of future talent across the sector.

Sarah’s dedication to inclusion is evident in her co-leading the launch of Autotrader’s Disability and Neurodiversity Network and Social Mobility Network, as well as her involvement and being the former Chair of NiON.  She continues to advocate for accessible opportunities, is an active supporter of the Manchester Baccalaureate, and is a member of the Greater Manchester Cornerstone Group.

Eve is a dedicated Business Service Apprentice at Durham County Council, currently pursuing a Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship. Her commitment to excellence and passion for professional development earned her the prestigious title of Local Government Apprentice of the Year 2025.

Following this achievement, Eve has become an influential voice within the council, speaking at meetings with new apprentices to share her journey and inspire others. She actively promotes the benefits of apprenticeships, offering guidance and encouragement to those considering this career path. Eve’s success story highlights the value of hands-on learning and the opportunities available through local government apprenticeships.

Sumayya Ali is a former Level 3 Digital Marketing Apprentice at GMLPN, where she supported events and led digital content creation. During her apprenticeship, she gained skills in Sumayya is also a member of the Association of Apprentices and has spoken at their events to inspire and encourage fellow apprentices. She is passionate about using her experience to inspire others on the power of apprenticeships.

Paul Armstrong is Head of Apprenticeships and Employer Skills at the University of Cumbria. With over 11 years of experience in higher education, Paul has led the university’s apprenticeship service since 2020, overseeing its growth from 160 to approximately 2,500 learners. Under his leadership, the University of Cumbria has earned national recognition, including awards for widening participation and innovative delivery of the Diagnostic Radiography Degree Apprenticeship. Paul is passionate about creating inclusive, employer-responsive education pathways that meet regional and national workforce needs. His strategic approach has helped position the university as a leader in apprenticeship provision, with expert provision including Paramedic, Project Management and Professional Forestry. Paul regularly collaborates with employers and professional bodies, sitting on trailblazer groups shaping new provision.

Sue Cronin is the recently appointed Director of Apprenticeships at Liverpool Hope University. With over twenty years of experience in Higher Education Sue has worked in a variety of leadership roles. These have more recently included Director of Quality and Accreditation for Education, Head of Partnerships and Head of Teacher Education. These posts have provided a good preparation to ensure as a new provider Liverpool Hope University builds high quality apprenticeship programmes that exceed any compliance and regulatory requirements and are responsive, meeting the needs of local and regional employers.

Emily is the CEO of the Association of Apprentices, a national membership organisation dedicated to improving outcomes for apprentices by facilitating peer support and connection across the UK. The Association has a significant presence in the apprenticeship community with over 40,000 apprentice members, and a broader community of over 150,000 apprentices across its 100+ partners. In recognition of its impact, the Association was named Best Purpose Driven People Community by Investors in People in 2023.

With over 25 years of experience in talent development and 12 years dedicated to apprenticeships and skills, Emily has held senior roles in both corporate and training provider settings, including as Head of Apprenticeships in the banking sector. She also serves as a Director of The St Martin’s Group, a cross-sector body influencing policy to build a sustainable, high-quality, employer-led skills system.