Mike Bridge Email and Phone Number

Working as part of DEXS, the Digital Experience School at knowmad mood and based within FCC Industrial as a Technical Writer and Trainer on the NATO TOPFAS software training project.

Working as part of a multinational team to:• create text and video-based content for e-Learning professional development courses across a range of disciplines.• design and lay out content on an authoring tool.• devise assignments and discussion forums and fully integrate them into the course via the LMS.• work with internal and external stakeholders to ensure a quality course is launched in line with objectives, learner requirements and timescales. Stakeholders include course professors and SMEs (externally) and graphic design and multimedia teams (internally).

Coaching and preparing French and Italian teenagers for the practical, emotional and psychological aspects of studying abroad. I taught synchronous online classes aimed at enhancing students' fluency and confidence, covering diverse topics including cultural adaptation in their host country and global skills such as effective communication and emotional intelligence.

An internship in an international boutique e-learning agency. I was responsible for bringing instructional design into the team, specifically by:• writing and testing instructional design processes and templates for use across the organisation.• refining the organisation’s e-learning process based on industry best practice.• writing storyboards based on instructional design and high-level soft skills development research.• creating content for e-learning courses.

Worked as part of a multinational team my online tutoring duties included:• supporting students in their work towards course goals.• facilitating discussion forums.• managing Moodle for the course.• marking and providing feedback on portfolio tasks.

I designed and delivered synchronous and asynchronous online courses by:• utilising UX design and research methodologies to enhance the experience of colleagues and students. Includes researching user needs, undertaking usability tests, working across departments and focusing on delivering the best possible learner experience at all times.• following industrial best practices, pedagogical trends and procedures to design, develop and prepare online and offline teaching materials. Constantly exploring how technology can aid learning in and out of the online classroom.

Reviewing and analysing overall performance of team members I directly supervised a group of seven teachers and carried out annual appraisal as well as ensured individual and team goals assigned and delivered. Working across different locations and departments I instigated, devised, planned and rolled out company's first professional development programme (PDP). Ensuring smooth running of academy learning and development activities I provide guidance and direction to managers and administrative staff. Enhancing teachers' performance I evaluated training needs and conducted workshops. Achieving academy goals and objectives I planned and executed business development and improvement plans based on staff/student feedback. Collaborating with stakeholders across the organisation I devised, wrote, and implemented school policies and procedures.Some of my key achievements were:• Led and facilitated 15 training workshops a year to explore new trends and technologies for the enhancement of students/staff skills and confidence.• Ensured all 50-teaching staff met and exceeded set objectives.• Developed, consulted on and enhanced business values by chairing two consultation workshops.• Mentored and coached four managers to undertake annual performance reviews.• Introduced new ways of working by exploring change in teaching style.

In my role as an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) educator in Spain, Italy, and the UK, I had the privilege of teaching and coaching students ranging from juniors to adults, across proficiency levels ranging from pre-intermediate to advanced. My noteworthy accomplishments during this time included:• pioneering and implementing learner and employee feedback mechanisms, leading to targeted improvement plans that significantly enhanced the overall experience for both stakeholder groups.• authoring and executing a comprehensive organisation-wide professional development programme (PDP). This initiative effectively strengthened teachers' skills and expertise in line with business objectives.• conceiving, designing, and facilitating bespoke staff training workshops, resulting in enhanced proficiency and performance across teams.• speaking at regional and national conferences to share my insights on teaching practices, pedagogy, and innovative ways of working. This platform encouraged meaningful discourse and knowledge exchange within the teaching community.

I held various positions at Yorkshire Forward as I progressed to the position of Assistant Director. Some of my key achievements included:• Effectively communicating with a wide range of customer and stakeholder groups to work towards common goals• Developing my oral and written communication skills to establish and maintain productive working relationships with customers from different levels of seniority and backgrounds• Utilising and enhancing my organisation skills to manage a number of projects and customers• Developing a reputation as someone who “gets things done” on time and within budget• Using data collection, collation and interpretation to help inform public sector investments within the region• Introducing benchmarking and best practice activity and sharing it with stakeholders to continuously improve economic development activity across the region• Leading and managing staff in Yorkshire Forward's West Yorkshire office• Achieving an MSc in Social Research and Evaluation which gave me, amongst other skills and knowledge, analytic skills (qualitative and quantitative) and an understanding of data usage to enhance the customer experience

Reporting to the Chief Executive and Board, I led a comprehensive review of Yorkshire Forward's activity since it was established in 1999.

Set up Yorkshire Futures - the Regional Intelligence Network -to co-ordinate the collation and dissemination of information to inform regional partners and help ensure local and regional policies and strategies were based on robust and timely economic, social and environmental intelligence.

Responsibility for securing £200k (including European funding) to manage a project to work with partner organisations to co-ordinate the collection, dissemination and use of labour market information and intelligence across Yorkshire and Humber.

Responsibility for managing a diverse range of evaluation, best practice and benchmarking activity and producing the TEC’s annual Business Plan.

Responsibility for commissioning and managing a variety of research and evaluation studies and contributing to the local economic assessment.