Labour Party Conference: 27th September 2016
Doors will open at 12.30pm for refreshments and networking and speakers will begin at 12.45pm.
Location: Grace Suite, Hilton Hotel Liverpool, 3 Thomas Steers Way, Liverpool, L1 8LW
Running order
12.55pm Lady Andrée Deane Barron: Welcome and setting the scene of the debate.
1.05pm Chris Cherry: The reform overview: looking forward and the implications.
1.15pm Mark Dawe: How will the apprenticeship reforms affect training providers: perspectives and concerns.
1.25pm Mark Basnett: Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) priorities and business perspectives.
1.35pm Stephen Timms MP: Labour priorities and perspectives: will the government reach the 3m target?
1.45pm Lady Andrée Deane Barron: Questions from the audience, comments and conclusions.
Speaker biogs
Lady Andrée Deane Barron, Managing Director YMCA Training
Lady Andrée Deane Barron is a sector expert with three published books and an extensive career history in Education, starting her career as a secondary school teacher.
Andrée since managed a number of public affairs accounts as a consultant and was Chief Executive of the Fitness Industry Association for ten years between 1999 and 2009.
Andrée is now Managing Director of YMCA Training, one of the largest voluntary sector training providers in the country. YMCA Training has 11 centres which provide courses including vocational training programmes, traineeships, apprenticeships and courses for employers. Andrée is married to Rother Valley MP Sir Kevin Barron.
Chris Cherry, Apprenticeship Reform Specialist
Chris Cherry is Director of Red Cherry Projects. He is also a Senior Associate with the Strategic Development Network, an international consulting organisation that works with governments and skills providers to develop and implement reform programmes in vocational skills development.
An expert and national authority in apprenticeships in England, he has been working with Future Apprenticeships since the end of 2011 when the reforms first emerged.
Mark Dawe, Chief Executive AELP
Mark was appointed as the new Chief Executive of AELP (Association of Employment and Learning Providers) in March 2016 after being chief executive of OCR, the exam board, for five years.
Mark has a wealth of experience across a broad spectrum in the education field. Prior to the OCR, Mark was Principal of Oaklands FE College, Deputy Director and AELP Board Director. He also worked on FE Strategy at the Department of Education and Skills and was Deputy Director of the Adult Basic Skills Strategy Unit after joining the department in 2003.
Mark Basnett¸ Executive Director at Liverpool City Region LEP
As Executive Director of the Liverpool City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Mark leads on delivering employment, output and productivity growth in its key business sectors including Superport, Advanced Manufacturing, Life Science & Health, Visitor Economy and Low Carbon as well as leading the City Region’s Enterprise, Investment and Growth Hub ambitions for the LEP.
Mark has an extensive track record in delivering business development, growth and inward investment programmes and in the last 10 years these programmes have helped secure over 100 investment projects in the City Region, leading to the creation and safeguarding of over 10,000 local jobs.
Stephen Timms MP, Member of the Education Select Committee
Stephen Timms MP entered Parliament as Labour MP for Newham North East in 1994 and was re-elected to the new constituency of East Ham in May 1997.
Stephen Timms was a Minister from 1998 until 2010 in a number of roles and the Shadow Minister for Employment between 2010 and 2015. He is currently a member of the Education Select Committee and the Sub Committee on Education, Skills and the Economy.
Conservative Party Conference: 5th of October 2016
Doors will open at 8am for refreshments, networking and speakers will begin at 8.15am.
Location: Room 101, The Library of Birmingham, Centenary Square, Birmingham B1 2ND
Running order
8.15am Marina Gaze (Chair): Introduction to YMCA Training and setting the scene.
8.25am Mark Dawe: How will the apprenticeship reforms affect training providers: perspectives and concerns.
8.35am Sir Terry Morgan: Business perspectives and concerns with apprenticeship reforms, will the government reach the 3m target?
8.45am Ruby Peacock: Small business perspectives, non-levy paying employers and the 9:1 ratio.
9am Marina Gaze: Questions and comments from the audience, final comments and conclusions.
Speaker Biographies
Marina Gaze, Curriculum Director, YMCA Training
Marina Gaze is currently YMCA Training’s Curriculum Director, leading on quality.
Marina Gaze has previously held roles within Ofsted. This includes the post of Deputy Director for Further Education and Skills, which is responsible for the continuous development of Ofsted's inspection policy for further education and skills, including colleges, work-based learning, community learning and prisons. Marina also led on the development of Ofsted's 2015 Common Inspection Framework.
Sir Terry Morgan, Chairman, National College of High Speed Rail
Sir Terry Morgan started his working life as an apprentice. In the decades that followed, he was talent-spotted and held some of the most senior positions at industrial giants such as Land Rover and British Aerospace.
Sir Terry has an MSc in Engineering Production & Management, is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the Institution of Civil Engineers. He is also a past President of the CMI (Chartered Management Institute).
Sir Terry is Chairman of Crossrail, Chairman of HS2 College Governing Body, Chairman of Ricardo plc and Non-Executive Chairman of the Manufacturing Technology Centre. He is also a Trustee of the Crossrail Art Foundation.
Mark Dawe, Chief Executive AELP
Mark was appointed as the new Chief Executive of AELP (Association of Employment and Learning Providers) in March 2016 after being chief executive of OCR, the exam board, for five years.
Mark has a wealth of experience across a broad spectrum in the education field. Prior to the OCR, Mark was Principal of Oaklands FE College, Deputy Director and AELP Board Director. He also worked on FE Strategy at the Department of Education and Skills and was Deputy Director of the Adult Basic Skills Strategy Unit after joining the department in 2003.
Ruby Peacock, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)
Ruby is Senior Public Affairs Adviser at the Federation of Small Businesses. She leads on FSB’s engagement in Westminster across a range of issues impacting small business owners and the self-employed.
Prior to joining the FSB, Ruby worked at London Councils, before that she worked at The Children’s Society. She worked across a number of areas including housing, welfare reform and looked after children.
