The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) is delighted to congratulate the 23 Further Education (FE) and skills sector colleagues recognised in the 2024 New Year Honours.
Four individuals across the sector received a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire), including Angela Foulkes, principal and chief executive at The Sheffield College, which is an ETF/SET Corporate Partner. Ten individuals were awarded OBEs (Officer of the Order of the British Empire), eight were made MBEs (Member of the Order of the British Empire), and one individual was recognised with the British Empire Medal (BEM).
Among those recognised with OBEs were Elaine Dale, Director of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Support at City College Norwich, and Samantha Mayhew, Assistant Principal for SEND at Weston College. Both were recognised for their vital work on SEND support and best practice, including their work on the National Centres for Excellence in SEND programme, which is delivered by ETF on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE).
Graduates of the CEO Programme delivered by ETF in partnership with Oxford Saïd Business School, and funded by DfE, were also recognised in the 2024 honours list; Anthony Bravo, principal of Basingstoke College of Technology, and Angela Foulkes both completed the programme in 2018.
ETF’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Katerina Kolyva, said: “We extend our warmest congratulations to all individuals from across the FE and skills sector who have been awarded in this year’s honours. Their dedication and commitment have transformed countless learners’ lives, and these awards rightly recognise and celebrate their valuable contributions to the work of our sector.”
Individuals from the FE and skills sector recognised in the 2024 New Year Honours list were:
CBE
Angela Foulkes, principal and chief executive of The Sheffield College, for services to further education
Zoe Lewis, principal and chief executive officer, Middlesbrough College, for services to further education
Bill Watkin, chief executive, Sixth Form Colleges Association, for services to further education
Charles Woodburn, chief executive officer of BAE Systems, for services to international trade and skills development
OBE
Heather Akehurst, chief executive of Open Awards, for services to further education in Merseyside
Virginia Barrett, principal and chief executive officer of Farnborough College of Technology, for services to further education
Tiffany Beck, Chair of Trustees at Maritime Academy Trust, for services to education
Anthony Bravo, principal of Basingstoke College of Technology, for services to further education
Jayne Clarke, executive principal of Pinnacle Learning Trust, for services to further education
Elaine Dale, director of SEND support at City College Norwich, for services to further education
Darrell Desouza, former principal and chief executive officer of Harrow College and Uxbridge College, for services to further education
Samantha Mayhew, assistant principal (SEND) at Weston College, for services to further education
Brian Palmer, founder and chief executive of Tharsus Group Ltd, for services to manufacturing and skills
John Trayner, former managing director of Go-Ahead London, for services to transport, to skills and to education in London
MBE
James Boyes, Team UK gold medal winner, WorldSkills UK, for services to further education
Ruth Devine, route panel member, Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, for services to further education and apprenticeships
Elizabeth Gorb, director of apprenticeships, Manchester Metropolitan University, for services to education and skills
Christine Kenyon, former deputy principal, The Manchester College, for services to further education
Kathryn Marshall, senior manager at Lloyds Banking Group, for services to further education and skills
Ewan Payne, Team UK gold medal winner, WorldSkills UK, for services to further education
Laura-Jane Rawlings, chief executive officer of Youth Employment UK, for services to young people
Maureen Vevers, chair of governors at Askham Bryan College, for services to further education
BEM
Anita Davenport-Brooks, group HR manager at Lander Automotive, for services to further education and skills