Conservative MP Lia Nici has been appointed chair of the Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network (ADCN). The network, set up in 2017, champions diversity among employers and encourages under-represented groups to consider apprenticeships. It is made up of 88 members, including large employers such as Channel 4, Siemens Plc, Lloyds Banking Group, and several NHS Trusts.
Apprenticeships and skills minister Gillian Keegan joined a meeting of the network to speak to members and announce the appointment of a new chair. Ms Nici, MP for Great Grimsby, will be responsible for setting and shaping the network’s objectives, working alongside the Education and Skills Funding Agency. Having worked in further education as a lecturer for 20 years, Ms Nici also has experience in business, having led local media organisations, such as Estuary TV. Last July, she was appointed “FE ambassador” by education secretary Gavin Williamson.
The Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network aims to encourage more people from under-represented groups, including those with disabilities, women, and members of the Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities (BAME), to consider apprenticeships. It supports the government’s commitment to increase the proportion of apprenticeship starts and achievement rates by people from BAME backgrounds, and starts and achievement rates from people who declare a learning difficulty or disability.
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Ms Nici said: “I am delighted to have been invited to lead the Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network. Apprenticeships offer so much opportunity as we build the future of the British economy, both to the individuals whose critical skills will be in high demand, and for the employers who need bright and talented people to thrive.
“Working with brilliant employers like those in the ADCN will go a long way to ensuring that such brilliant opportunities are open and accessible to all. We need this richness of diversity in our talent in order to stay competitive and to level the country up.”
Ms Keegan said: “We want to make sure that everyone, no matter where they live or their experience, can gain the skills they need to get ahead. Apprenticeships offer people of all ages and backgrounds the chance to learn new skills while earning a salary, whether they want to be a nurse, space engineer or a digital marketeer.
“I am delighted to appoint Lia Nici as the new chair of the Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network. She has a wealth of experience and will play a key role in making sure that we level up by developing talent from all parts of the country. I look forward to working with her and the employer network to ensure our workforces reflect the communities they serve.”
Speaking to Tes on her appointment as FE ambassador last year, Ms Nici said she was attracted to FE because she wanted the opportunity to pass on her skills and bring a new generation of young people into the industry.
“The great thing about working in FE is that you can work in the industry and teach at the same time, so you’ve got a good balance and you’re bringing on a new generation of people to work in the industry,” she said.
“I managed to stay in further and higher education for such a long time because the job is very varied, and you can specialise in particular areas. You’re always learning and you’re learning not only about pedagogy but you’re also learning about your own industry as well, and being able to shape that. We always were a forward-thinking college and that continues to be the case.”
