The Learner Journey - Confirmed speakers

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JOHN MORRISON (CHAIR) *Morrison Media Strategies*	John Morrison is a graduate of the University of Glasgow. He joined the BBC as a trainee. Between 2001 and 2006, John was Scotland correspondent with BBC news, reporting for the News Channel and the main news bulletins. Before that he was Chief Political correspondent in the Scottish Parliament and Europe correspondent, based in Brussels.


KEIR BLOOMER Chair The Tapestry Partnership	Keir Bloomer is an independent education consultant. He is also Chair of the Tapestry Partnership and Chair of the Court of Queen Margaret University. From 1996 until November 2000, he was Executive Director of Education and Community Services with Clackmannanshire Council and was President of the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland in 1999/2000. Subsequently he became Chief Executive of the Council, a post from which he retired in May 2007. He was a member of the review group which wrote “A Curriculum for Excellence”, Scotland’s national curriculum policy statement, having previously been one of the advisers to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee of the Scottish Parliament in connection with its inquiry into the purposes of education. At various times he has been Vice-Chair of Learning and Teaching Scotland, Depute General Secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland and a member of the General Teaching Council.


WILLY ROE CBE *Review of Post 16 Education and Vocational Training*	Willy Roe is the Scotland Commissioner with the UK Commission on Employment and Skills. The Commission was developed to provide strategic leadership on skills and employment issues in the four nations of the UK and recently completed a UK wide review of Youth Unemployment. He recently led a review of post-16 education and vocational training in Scotland, on the request of the Scottish Government, with his findings submitted to the administration in June 2011. Prior to taking up the review, he was Chair of Skills Development Scotland. Willy was a former Director of first EU Programme to combat long-term unemployment – ERGO. He is a former Advisor to the Government of Bulgaria on development of civil society and the Government of Poland on labour market reforms. Willy is also Chair of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, a post he has held since September 2004, and is a member of the Board of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).


EMERITUS PROFESSOR ALAN ROACH *Emeritus Professor, University of the West of Scotland and Co-Leader, STEM-ED Scotland*	Alan Roach is an Emeritus Professor of the School of Science at the University of the West of Scotland and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow. He also serves as Secretary to the Deans of Science and Engineering in Scotland. His main effort in recent years has been in co-leadership of STEM-ED Scotland, a stakeholder partnership to champion the provision of world class education in Scotland across science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Completed research projects have reviewed university, industry and learner perspectives, and articulated new approaches to address the challenges presented by the evolving nature and the rapid pace of change in modern science and technology.


AILEEN PONTON Chief Executive SCQF	Aileen joined the SCQF Partnership as its first Chief Executive in July 2007. This was the first post created to support the newly formed organisation and represented a major step change in how the Framework would be supported in Scotland. Over the last four years her focus has been on getting the company up and running; building real and effective partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders; extending the framework and communicating its benefits by working on a diverse range of projects. Considerable progress has been made by Aileen and her team to widen its scope including a much more diverse range of employer based and other work based provision being credit rated into the Framework. Aileen’s previous experience has had both an employer and education focus. Prior to joining the SCQF Partnership Aileen was Head of Policy Development, Scotland with the Sector Skills Development Agency for 3 years. This was the organizations which set up the network of Sector Skills Councils. Her responsibilities included capacity building; leadership; brokering negotiations; lobbying and providing advice to government agencies. Before joining SSDA in 2004 Aileen had worked with the Scottish Qualifications Authority and its predecessor SCOTVEC since 1989 in a range of roles including qualifications development; heading up SQA’s accreditation function; developing a collaborative relationship with the emerging Sector Skills Councils and providing the SQA lead on the development of the SCQF. Aileen is currently into year 3 of a 4 year appointment as a Member of the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ). She is also a member of Anniesland College Board of Management.


RAE CAHILL MSYP Vice-Chair The Scottish Youth Parliament	Rae Cahill has been an MSYP since 2008, previously representing her home constituency of Falkirk East. She now represents Glasgow Kelvin, where she lives and studies Politics at the University of Glasgow. Rae is currently the Chair of the Glasgow Youth Council and a society at University. She is a keen political activist with a background in campaigning and engaging with young people, and has represented the SYP on a local, national and international platform, including representing the SYP at the first UK Youth Parliament debate in the House of Commons, representing Scotland at the World Youth Congress 2010 in Turkey and as one of three Scottish UK Young Ambassadors.


LINDA MCTAVISH CBE Principal Anniesland College	Linda J. McTavish is Principal of Anniesland College in Glasgow. Linda has been a member of various national bodies including New Deal Taskforce, Scottish Refugee Integration Forum & Ethnic Minorities and Labour Market Strategic Group. She has served as an adviser to the Scottish Executive Minister for Communities (Closing the Opportunity Gap) and was Chair of the Supported Accommodation Working Group. She is a Director with Glasgow School of Art and a Member of the Greater Glasgow Articulation Partnership Advisory Board. She chairs the HN Key Partners Group and is Convener of Scottish Colleges World Skills (Skills Competitions) Network. She is a former Convener of Scotland’s Colleges. She was awarded the Lord Provost’s Medal for Education in 2000, awarded a CBE in 2003 for services to Further Education and became a Fellow of the SQA in 2005.


KAY DINGWALL Headteacher Knightswood Secondary School	Kay Dingwall is a graduate of the University of Strathclyde. In 2005, Kay took up her first headship, becoming Head Teacher at Cleveden Secondary School in Glasgow. She worked with colleagues to establish a highly effective strategic partnership between the five secondary schools and Glasgow Life. She was also the Chairperson of the North Area Youth Employability Group which harnessed the expertise and resources of a variety of organisations to maximise the life chances of young people in the North of the City and implemented the Scottish Governments 16+ Learning Choices framework. Earlier this year Kay took up post as Head Teacher of Knightswood Secondary, one of Glasgow’s largest non-denominational schools, and which also incorporates the Dance School of Scotland. Knightswood Secondary has had, and continues to have, a highly effective partnership with Anniesland College. In June of this year the impact of the collaborative working was recognised by SQA when the school and college received a SQA Star Award for outstanding partnership working.


PROFESSOR PETRA WEND Convenor Learning and Teaching Committee, Universities Scotland	Professor Wend originally read Italian and French Language and Literature, and Education at the University of Münster in Germany and gained a PhD in Italian Language and Literature at Leeds University. She went on to teach German and Italian at Middlesex University, rising to senior management roles before being appointed as Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Education at the University of North London, now London Metropolitan University, where she subsequently became Pro Vice Chancellor (Learning and Teaching). She joined Oxford Brookes University as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Deputy Chief Executive in 2005. She joined QMU as Principal and Vice-Chancellor in September 2009. Professor Wend holds a number of formal advisory roles on UK and international committees and boards and is Convener of Universities Scotland’s Learning and Teaching Committee and as such member of the Universities Scotland’s Executive.


BILLY MCCAULEY Chair Glasgow Schools Student Union	At 16 years old, Billy has spent almost his entire life in Scotland's education system. Now in his last year of Hyndland Secondary School, he has been a part of the founding of Glasgow Schools Student Union, an organisation with over 200 members since June alone. He was elected Convener last year, and they have since begun working with Trade Unions, and the STUC Youth Committee. This year, Billy hopes to go to Glasgow University to study Politics and Sociology.


STEVE OLIVIER Vice Principal and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Acting) University of Abertay Dundee	Professor Steve Olivier is Vice Principal and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Acting) at the University of Abertay Dundee, and serves as the Chair of the Management Board of SHEEF (Scottish Higher Education Employability Forum). He has held leadership positions at several UK and overseas universities, and has extensive experience of quality enhancement, teaching and learning innovation, strategic organisational development, research and consultancy management, and course development. He is still an active researcher specialising in research ethics and the philosophy of sport.


FRASER DURIE Director of Educational Development Adam Smith College	Fraser Durie is Director of Educational Development at Adam Smith College. A key element of the post is partnerships with universities and schools. Adam Smith College has a unique and long standing relationship with the University of Abertay Dundee, currently delivering 10 degree programmes in Fife. In addition to this the college delivers degrees from 2 other partners, including a ground breaking partnership with the Open University Scotland. In his role within school partnerships he has worked with Education Scotland and the Scottish Government advising on Senior Phase models for Curriculum for Excellence. Externally he is the current chair of College Liaison Association with Scotland’s Schools (CLASS) which represents those college staff working in partnership with schools and local authorities.


MICHAEL BRESLIN Principal Argyll College	Michael has been Principal of Argyll College and responsible for its development from nothing in 1997. The college opened its doors to its first students in late 1999 and now delivers around 9,000 SUMs per annum from 19 separate sites throughout the most geographically challenging area in Scotland. Prior to this, Michael was Head of Training for Argyll & Islands Enterprise (now HIE) and worked at Strathclyde Education Department from 1977 till 1991 in various roles including careers officer, manager of youth and adult training services and having responsibility for further and higher school bursaries in Argyll & Bute division. He is a Fellow of the CIPD.


HEATHER MACLEOD Chief Executive Operation Youth Advantage +	As the Chief Executive of Operation Youth Advantage+ Heather has over 22 years’ experience of research and business management. Latterly, Heather was responsible for the management of clinical trials within Europe; a founder member of a team which developed an R&D SME, within a global pharmaceutical company, which was based in Switzerland and set up a European wide charitable medical foundation. However, her glowing career path started with overcoming her own personal challenges with dyslexia and as a carer from a young age her own learning was disrupted. Heather understands often the ‘learner journey’ is not a smooth one and pulls her experiences and networks together, through Operation Youth Advantage+, to ensure that ALL young people gain appropriate advice support and guidance to ensure they stay on a ‘Structured Journey’.