National Career Guidance Show (NCGS) Southwest - Exeter 2024 - Speakers

Amanda Cheney, National SEND Education & Career Development Manager, Talentino Careers

Amanda joined Talentino in January 2023 as their National SEND Education & Career Development Manager. With over 30 years of experience, she previously led initiatives at a highly rated special school, excelling in enterprise, employability, and work-related learning for over a decade. Amanda's impact includes creating innovative programmes to create positive outcomes for students with additional needs. Amanda draws from her extensive background and experience to offer insights on inclusive education and building impactful career pathways for all, and supporting staff in a range of settings to implement high-quality careers strategies and programmes..

Dr Mark Frederick, Project Leader, UK & Europe Citizenship Team, Barclays LifeSkills

Mark joined Barclays in 2012 and Barclays LifeSkills in 2015. He was first responsible for programme operations, and over the years assumed a variety of roles within the team, including strategy and content development for resources aimed at adults, reporting and assurance. He has also led an intensive intervention initiative working with local organisations to build skills and confidence in young people and adults across different locations within the UK. Mark is passionate about helping others and the importance of transferable skills for employment, he has also previously worked as an engineer, pianist and as an English teacher in Spain for one and a half years.

Caroline Green, Founder, The Talent Cycle

Caroline is a Career Development Expert, RCDP, Learning and Development professional and the CDI Private Sector Career Coach/Consultant of the Year 2023. In her role as Founder of The Talent Cycle she acts as a Careers Sector Evangelist to help raise awareness and engagement with the sector, through speaking, writing and appearing in national media. Having been used as an example of best practice by the NfER for her work in schools, she advises individuals, organisations, and educational establishments on how to raise the profile of the all-important careers work they do.

Donna Kenny,  West of England Apprenticeship Growth Manager, Western Training Provider Network

Donna began her career in the recruitment industry before joining the world of FE Colleges where she qualified as a careers advisor and quickly established herself as a key stakeholder in the South West’s apprenticeship movement! Currently the West of England Apprenticeship Growth Manager with the Western Training Provider Network who works with training and education providers, schools, parents, large employers, and small businesses to develop the skills system across the West of England.

Sue Lewis,  Careerpilot Manager, Careerpilot

Sue has worked in education and careers for over 40 years, initially as a teacher in special, further and secondary education and then as a project manager for the Connexions service. Sue started the award-winning, free -access, Careerpilot one-stop careers site in 2011 - which had 549,000 users in 2022-23. Careerpilot is funded through a consortium of universities, Uni Connect  and Careers Hubs in the SW and the SE. Sue is experienced at developing online careers content and tools to meet a range of student and staff needs and is passionate about enabling young people to develop career management skills to support progression to successful futures. Sue is a qualified teacher, trainer and careers guidance adviser.

Kim Newman, Technical Education Programme Manager, Career Development Institute

Kim joined the Career Development Institute (CDI) in November 2023 as their technical education programme manager, leading on a three year project funded by the Gatsby Foundation which seeks to raise awareness of technical education pathways. With over 25 years’ experience as a careers professional, Kim has worked in schools, colleges and universities and more recently in supporting teachers and careers staff to meet the Gatsby Benchmarks. Kim is passionate about supporting careers professionals to keep up to date with the ever-changing world of education..

James Wilmot, Director of Careers, Employability, Advice & Guidance, The Priory Learning Trust

James Wilmot is Head of Careers at Priory Community School Academy and also manages the careers offer across all schools in The Priory Learning Trust. James is a Psychology graduate with many years’ experience in the recruitment industry. He has also worked for community careers organisations and ran apprenticeship recruitment at Weston College before joining The PLT in 2015. James believes that effective careers advice in schools through events, activities and 121s is vital for students to become brave, kind, curious and brave young adults. These attributes are the real secret to a happy and healthy career.

More speakers to be announced soon!