When Laura-Jane Rawlings founded Youth Employment UK in 2012, she did so from personal experience.

Having grown up facing social inequality and poverty herself, she was determined to build an organisation that put young people, rather than policy alone, at the centre of decisions about their futures. More than a decade on, that organisation has grown into the national body for youth employment, reaching over three million young people and shaping practice among employers, educators and policymakers across the country. Now, Laura-Jane is bringing that same conviction to a new role, as she takes up the position of Chair of Governors at The Bedford College Group.

Laura-Jane Rawlings

 

It is a natural next step for someone who has spent her career working at the intersection of education, employment and opportunity.

Alongside leading Youth Employment UK, Laura-Jane is Co-Founder and Chair of the Youth Employment Group, Secretariat and Advisor to the APPG for Youth Employment, and a founding Board Member of the Youth Futures Foundation.

She also chairs the Cambridge & Peterborough Youth Guarantee Board and holds the role of Deputy Lieutenant for Northamptonshire. She was appointed MBE for services to young people and has previously served as a secondary school governor for six years, giving her a first-hand understanding of the governance challenges facing education providers.

Speaking about her appointment, Laura-Jane said:

“I’m incredibly proud to take on the role of Chair at The Bedford College Group. Colleges have such an important role to play in creating opportunity – for young people, adults, employers and the communities they serve – and I have seen first-hand the ambition that exists across the Group. This is an exciting moment for Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, with significant change and growth ahead, and I want us to be bold about the role the College can play in shaping that future. It’s a real privilege to work with such an experienced and committed Board, and senior executive team who are ambitious, passionate and deeply committed to the work of the Group.’’

Her appointment comes at a pivotal moment for further education, as colleges respond to changing employer needs and growing demand for high-quality technical and vocational routes. As an existing member of The Bedford College Group’s Board of Governors, Laura-Jane is already well versed in the Group’s ambitions and the breadth of provision it delivers, spanning Bedford College, Shuttleworth College, Tresham College, the National College for Motorsport and the National College for Logistics, and her step up to Chair is expected to strengthen the connection between The Bedford College Group’s colleges and the employers, policymakers and young people they serve.

Find out more

For more information about The Bedford College Group and its Board of Governors, visit: The Bedford College Group Board of Governors | The Bedford College Group

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