Skills for growth: Networking event

Shane is CEO of EducationScape, an organisation at the forefront of education publishing, training and event management.  Shane played a key role in shaping educational journalism by helping launch FE Week in 2011.  Building on this success, Schools Week followed in 2014, providing in-depth analysis of the education system from early years to secondary education. Shane has also played a leading role in the renowned Festival of Education, both in the UK and internationally. He was appointed as a trustee of the Teaching Awards Trust in 2020.

Marion Plant OBE is Principal and Chief Executive of North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC).

Under Marion’s leadership, students at the college consistently perform highly in the WorldSkills UK Competitions, including in the entry-level foundation skills competitions which the college itself conceived and developed. Marion oversaw the development of a successful technology institute that delivers highly acclaimed training for the automotive sector including for prestigious brands such as Jaguar Land Rover and Bentley.  Marion has served a three-year term as a non-executive director at the Department for Education and recently achieved fellowships from the City and Guilds Institute and the Chartered Institute for Further Education.

Claire Riddle is Vice President, Marketing and Customer Engagement, Pearson Qualifications. Claire leads on marketing and communications across our Pearson School Qualifications (PSQ) and Vocational Qualifications (VQ) businesses.

Claire has been instrumental in advancing Pearson’s qualifications business with her strategic vision and practical approach. Through working closely with education providers, government and employers, she has increased awareness of, and interest in, our BTEC, apprenticeships, and Higher National’s portfolios, and is set to supercharge Pearson’s PSQ presence.

Before joining Pearson in 2015, Claire held senior brand and marketing roles at Hearst Corporation, News Corporation, Kraft Heinz, and others. Claire is passionate about helping people realise the life they imagined through learning, and she looks forward to returning to the WorldSkills arena this year.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claireriddle

Trevor is the current Chief Executive Officer of Worldskills Australia and has spent some 30 years as a volunteer within the Worldskills family. He has more than 24 years’ experience in key leadership roles in the vocational education and training, higher education, school and corporate sectors. In 2013 Trevor was recognised as the Queensland Professional Manager of the Year by the Australian Institute of Management. Trevor began his career as a tradesman (Boilermaker Welder) and holds qualifications in Engineering, Education and Online Learning. He is a previous CEO and General Manager within the TAFE sector across both Queensland and Victoria . Trevor has held several board positions and is passionate about skills and training.

Trevor joined the WorldSkills Australia Board in 2017 on the Nominations Committee and the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee, and was appointed as CEO in July 2019.

Rosie was always determined to have a career in the aviation industry. Her career started with an Airbus apprenticeship in North Wales, which was a huge move for Rosie and step as a teenager, but well worth the step as she was passionate about hands on learning, determined that her apprenticeship would provide the practical skills needed for an engineering career. Her journey with WorldSkills UK started here, and eventually Rosie became part of Team UK, competing in WorldSkills Lyon 2024 and finishing in the top 10 of the ‘Skills olympics’. Following this, Rosie became a Technical Training Officer at Coleg Cambria, inspiring the next generation and recently moved into a new role as an aircraft mechanic. She is now also a WorldSkills UK Skills Champion, exemplifying and championing skills excellence so more young people and employers thrive.