Nick’s current role is Assistant Director – 14-19 Commissioning for Children & Young People’s Service in Sheffield, which involves the co-ordination of a wide range of learning activities involving the colleges, 27 secondary schools and 30 other learning providers.

The authority has used a 14-19 pathfinder, Area Wide funding and European money to establish strong links between the 14-19 education system and the economic growth clusters. Nick has devised a single framework to cover work at entry through to level 2. Sheffield was recently awarded Beacon Status (2009) for its exemplary 14-19 work.

Prior to this appointment Nick was the School Liaison Manager at The Sheffield College, where he was responsible for co-ordinating the information side of promoting college to students, parents and staff. A more dynamic side of that job was linking young people to direct experience of college through vocational tasters and qualifications.

Nick previously taught in a comprehensive school for 10 years and organised the Foundation programme (CPVE and GCSE) in a medium size tertiary college where he also became TVELE co-ordinator.

Six medium sized colleges merged to form The Sheffield College, the biggest in Europe and Nick originally co-ordinated “A” levels in half of the city before taking on his current role.