With over 25 years of professional experience working in HR project delivery both in the UK and internationally and as an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion lead and Advisor , Rachel has worked with organisations across the public and private sector during her career. Since 2010, she has focussed specifically on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Higher and Further Education; and is passionate about seeking to support and address challenges in relation to increasing the positive engagement, voice and visibility and equitable experience of underrepresented learners in education and industry. Creative, and a passionate advocate for dignity, respect and inclusion, she works to use her understanding and knowledge of operational and business reality to encourage positive and sustainable change.
Practical and pragmatic, she believes in the importance of putting theory into practice through collaboration and voluntary activities; as such, she has co- chaired and supports women’s networks, volunteered with Advance HE as an Athena SWAN national panellist and advisor assessing gender equality strategies for universities, and is currently an active Organisational Patron representative for the UK Multicultural Apprentice Alliance for JTL.
Rachel joined JTL , the largest national training provider for electrotechnical and plumbing and heating apprenticeships in England and Wales, in 2019, as Diversity, Safeguarding and Inclusion Advisor where she works to support and encourage change in the building services engineering services sector of intermediate level apprentices and their employers.