After thirteen years in advertising Alison retrained in Early Years and Adult Education. She spent three years working at Richmond Adult College then was seconded to the local authority in two .5 posts, one to manage their Family Learning and the other to manage the Early Years Professional Development.

By combining the two strands of my work Alison was able to link the Family Learning and adult skills provision with the early intervention agenda in Children’s Centres in a strategic way.

In October 2009, Alison commissioned and instigated the launch of the Wishes project. Wishes brings together a range of services and agencies to help parents gain new skills and qualifications and to move into employment. It is designed to be responsive to individual learning needs and aspirations and to be capable of engaging and supporting those thought to be most “hard-to-reach”.

Alison is now Head of the Children’s Workforce Development Department in Richmond which includes Parenting and Family Learning.