Jane Thompson Email and Phone Number

• Reversed negative achievement and income trends for apprenticeships, initially at Sunderland College and subsequently when Education Partnership North East (EPNE) was formed post merger with Northumberland College.• Transformed and reshaped an underperforming team, established new management structures, aligned job descriptions and aligned key resources with market growth and opportunities.• Achieved College income targets for apprenticeships over the last three years a significant achievement post reform and during the covid pandemic.• Represented the College, attending the pre-panel of the Public Accounts Committee who were reviewing the latest National Audit Report on Apprenticeship Reform. This exciting opportunity challenged me to respond to questions from MPs in the Houses of Parliament whilst televised and ensure that I represented the College and the City as a qualified expert in my field.

This was a seconded role to lead and deliver an SDF2 Project, delivered in partnership with Newcastle College, Tyne Coast College, Newcastle University, SORA Group, 3t Energy Group and Energy Central. The £2.4m project was delivered between 1 August 2022 and 31 March 2023. Key elements included submitting all project returns and working closely with the Curriculum Industry Leads in each delivery partner and key external stakeholders. The vision for the SDF project was to create a dynamic FE and HE strategic partnership delivering place-based solutions designed to meet local skills needs and realise societal economic impact. As Project Manager I was responsible for delivering the project aims to establish a single interface (or ‘one stop shop’) linking local industry clusters, job seekers and training providers to ensure employers have access to highly skilled workers, driving productivity in two growing sectors in the North of Tyne Combined Authority area: green power (specifically offshore renewables); and green transport (specifically electrification of vehicles and battery manufacture). The project was a challenging one, particularly the timeframe of 6 months in which to organise the spend of £1.4million on capital for 3 colleges, and £800k on revenue including curriculum development, staff CPD, marketing, employer, community and school engagement. However, it was a challenge I relished, and found immensely satisfying and rewarding, negotiating complex relationships and overcoming roadblocks to deliver the project successfully. The project was delivered to budget and time.