Experience and Track Record
Capacity and capability
I have a track record of successfully delivering work in the education and training sector. This track record includes the following projects and ongoing work:
London Fire Brigade FIRED-uP Project Manager
In 2012, I began working on this new project funded by the EC Competitiveness and Innovation Programme. FIRED-uP focuses on innovation as a way of improving the environmental performance of fire service fleets in a partnership between London Fire Brigade and the City of Ghent, Belgium. The project is:
- Examining the key environmental impacts of fire service vehicles and their relationship to operational requirements.
- Identifying successful approaches to market consultation for innovative procurement.
- Identifying approaches to manage contractual risk, for both supply and service contracts.
- Developing common performance-based specifications.
- Undertaking innovative procurement to meet operational needs in London and Ghent.
- Improving awareness within the European fire service community of the environmental impacts of vehicles and how to procure a more innovative vehicle.
Ecorys EC LLP National Agency - Assessor
Ecorys is the UK National Agency managing the EC Lifelong Learning programme. I have been employed by Ecorys over the last two years to assess funding applications for the Leonardo Mobility and Transversal Study Visit tender applications. My role is to assess the quality of funding applications against a set of quality criteria for projects designed to provide European work placements for young people.
European Training Foundation, Turin –Qualifications Researcher
The European Training Foundation (ETF) is the EU agency which supports education and training in countries surrounding the European Union through technical assistance, research and reform of education, training and labour market systems in the context of the EU’s external relations policy.
I have been employed by ETF as an external consultant to undertake research and provide advice in the partner countries (Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia and Morocco) for a project designed to map construction and tourism sector qualifications in these countries. For this role I have undertaken original research (through meetings with stakeholders and literature review) into vocational training and occupational requirements to work in the construction sector in the countries, provided advice and guidance on qualifications and qualification frameworks during seminars in each country and taken information to map the construction sector qualifications between the countries to support international recognition of occupations based on knowledge, skills and competencies.
University of York – Education Project Management
I was the project manager for an international project based at the University of York. I was originally employed to manage and write the tender application and following the contract award I managed the project. The project was called Europlat (European psychology learning and teaching network) and involved the development and management of a network of psychology departments across Europe.
My role involved delivering the financial reports to the EC, managing the project finance and strategic planning for the project. I maintained a partnership with colleagues in 32 university departments across Europe through face-to-face meetings, web conferencing tools, social media and more traditional tools such as newsletters and email. I was also the line manager to the project administrator.
Standards Verification UK (SVUK) – Qualifications Researcher
I was contracted with SVUK to undertake research into international qualifications in the teaching and training sectors for a number of countries across Europe and South Africa and Australia. I was commissioned to deliver this work to support SVUK in developing the Tariff of Qualifications (ITT). SVUK was commissioned by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (DBIS) to develop the Tariff of Qualifications (ITT) in 2007 following the reforms to the FE sector, which included FE teaching and training qualifications becoming professionally recognised learning. With the introduction of new professional training qualifications, SVUK designed the Tariff to allow holders of earlier qualifications to benchmark those against the new professional training qualifications (PTLLS, CTLLS and DTLLS). My role was to research international training qualifications and benchmark them against the Tariff to support international VET teachers entering the UK market. To undertake the research I undertook a literature review and made direct contacts with stakeholders in each country to make data requests, which I then analysed and benchmarked against the requirements in England to teach and train at FE level.
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) – Fire Fighter
In addition to my consultancy in the education sector I am employed as a retained fire-fighter. Retained fire-fighters work alongside whole time fire-fighters as the main response for emergencies in the local community. As part of my work, I am a member of the Community Fire Safety Team where I am a trainer delivering GFRS ‘Firescape’ courses for young people aged 13-16. The Firescape programme has been designed by GFRS to work with difficult and disadvantaged young people through fire safety training to raise their self esteem, confidence and job skills and is OFSTED approved. My role is to supervise, offer guidance and deliver actual training in specific fire-fighting activities for the short courses, which each last for six weeks (one day per week) throughout the academic year.
