Meet the team: Apprenticeship Learning and Skills Coaches

Laura was appointed Head of Apprenticeships in October 2023.  She has over 20 years of experience working in Further Education in work-based learning and Apprenticeships and has worked for Bury College for 7 years.  Laura started her career in the NHS working in various roles in the projects and training teams.  She progressed to Further Education after attaining qualifications in teaching, assessing and verification. Laura has since completed higher qualifications in Management and Leading Quality Assurance.

Laura has a passion for education and the development of her workforce. Outside of her professional pursuits, Laura enjoys listening to music, attending concerts and festivals and travelling to new places to experience different cultures. She has a clear vision for the future of apprenticeships at Bury College and invites you to meet the rest of the team!

Chantelle has worked at Bury College as a Business Advisor within the Apprenticeship Team for 19 years, supporting employers in the Business & Financial, Health & Social Care, Dental, and Child Care sectors. Chantelle is a self -motivated confident professional with highly developed communications skills. Her main role is to build positive relationships with clients, partners, associates and networks.

Chantelle has the knowledge and experience to work with key companies ranging from small and medium-sized businesses to large multi-national corporations, offering advice and guidance on the range of options available for companies recruiting for an Apprentice or up-skill existing staff members.

Melissa is a hairstylist with over 21 years of experience. She began her career at Toni and Guy, where she worked her way up to a Senior Stylist. Melissa's journey then led her to teaching, where she completed her Certificate in Education and assessor and verifier qualifications.  Melissa has been promoted to Lead Learning and Skills Coach, where she shares her wealth of knowledge and passion for the craft with aspiring stylists. With a dedication to innovation and excellence,

Melissa remains a driving force in the industry, continuously evolving alongside emerging trends and techniques. She is committed to inspiring the next generation of hairstylists through her work, mentorship, and unwavering pursuit of creativity.

Harley is the Lead Learning and Skills Coach for early years/teaching assistant and health and social care.  She has been working in education for 11 years and holds a BA Hons degree in Working with Children and Young People and a PGCE in further education.  Harley started her career as a Lecturer for early years/teaching assistance, firstly delivering a foundation degree for a college and moving on to an adult education centre. 

During her time delivering to adults, she gained the assessor qualification and made the move into apprenticeships. Harley has been delivering apprenticeships for seven years and has been with Bury College for the last six years delivering early years and teaching assistant apprenticeships.

Jen first started her career as a school leaver completing an apprenticeship in Dental Nursing, eventually working her way up to a lead role, gaining 12 years of chairside experience and further completing post qualifications within Dental radiography, impression taking, fluoride application and cross infection control within decontamination. She has since put her experience into further educating herself to become a Learning and Skills Coach for dental apprenticeships at Bury College.  

Jen was promoted to Lead Learning and Skills Coach for the Dental Sector last year.  This gives her great joy to be able to put her experience into practice to support learners on their apprenticeship journey. 

Pam started her career as an NNEB in a Nursery environment. Whilst there she furthered her career as an Officer in charge of a nursery setting and gained her assessors and PTLLS qualification that enabled Pam to progress to becoming a Learning and Skills Coach in Childcare and Education. 

Pam gained a position at Bury College where she has 19 years’ experience in education, teaching and supporting Apprenticeships to gain both Level 2 and 3 in Childcare and thoroughly enjoys the role.

Nicola has worked in the FE sector for over 20 years. She has been a Learning and Skills Coach and Internal Quality Assurer at Bury College for 2 years. Nicola worked as an Early Years apprentice before moving on to gaining qualifications as an assessor and PTLLS qualification. 

These gave her the knowledge and skills to help develop and run FE/Apprenticeship courses at another FE college where she was involved in classroom and workplace delivery.

Adele began working in childcare at age 17 and worked in two nurseries to complete her Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships. She then progressed to another setting to become a deputy leader of a nursery and completed her team-leading apprenticeship at Level 3. She managed this setting for two years. Following this, she moved to Sure Start Children’s Centres, and for the next nine years worked as a Senior Early Years Leader, organising childcare sessions for the local community. She then moved to a school and worked as a Teaching Assistant, covering the nursery and reception teachers while they were out of the classroom.

Adele has since completed her degree in Early Years Leadership whilst working at the school. More recently, she has moved into education and joined Bury College, becoming a Learning and Skills Coach. She has undertaken her assessor qualification and PGCE.

Nichola has many years of experience in the dental sector, having qualified as a dental nurse in 2010, working in a busy NHS practice. She joined the college in February 2022 as a Learning and Skills coach and is passionate about supporting learners to achieve their full potential.

Janet has been involved in the care sector for 28 years, starting as a Care Worker in a residential home for the elderly and senior care and working her way up to managing a community-based service within the learning disability sector. 

While working in care Janet has also completed her levels of qualification from levels 2 and 3 up to the level 4 Registered Managers Award. Janet then became interested in the training aspect, so completed her assessor qualification and Internal Quality assurer qualification. Since 2010 Janet has worked in the training industry delivering level 2, 3, 4 and 5 qualifications to the health and care sector.

Kelly is a dynamic and compassionate Learning and Skills Coach in the hairdressing sector. Dedicated to empowering individuals to achieve their full potential in the hairdressing industry. With a career spanning over 25 years, Kelly brings a unique blend of practical expertise and educational insight to the role.

Kelly still works in the industry as a salon director and senior creative designer and has been working in the role as a Learning and Skills Coach for 3 years.  Kelly has previously run a private hairdressing training academy for 8 years teaching and assessing Level 2 and Level 3 apprentices.

Diane is a seasoned educator and professional with over 30 years of experience in the fields of IT, Business Administration, and Customer Service. Throughout her career, she has served as a dedicated lecturer, trainer, and assessor, imparting knowledge and fostering growth in countless individuals. With a deep-rooted passion for education and a wealth of expertise in her specialist areas, Diane has made a significant impact in both academic and professional settings. Her commitment to excellence and innovation has earned her recognition as a trusted mentor and leader in her field. She thrives on exploring emerging trends and technologies, always seeking to stay at the forefront of industry advancements. 

Diane finds inspiration in the world around her and believes in the power of lifelong learning to enrich both personal and professional growth. Driven by a relentless dedication to empowering others and making a positive difference, Diane continues to shape the future of education and professional development, leaving a lasting legacy in the lives of those she touches.

Carol has over two decades of experience in assessing and managing diverse teams and individuals.  She brings a wealth of expertise in leadership, customer service, administration, and professional coaching. Throughout Carol's career, she has ascended to senior managerial positions through dedication, hard work, and a relentless pursuit of personal and professional growth. 

Her approach to leadership is rooted in empowerment, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation that drives results and nurtures talent. Carol holds qualifications in customer service, administration, coaching, and team leadership, each earned through rigorous training and hands-on experience. Carol thrives on challenges and is passionate about making a positive impact in everything she does.

Dawn has worked in apprenticeships for over ten years and has been delivering accounting apprenticeships at Bury College for five years. She works with a wide range of businesses to support apprentices who are at different stages of their accounting careers.   Her role is interesting and varied. One day, she can be teaching in the classroom, and the next visiting an apprentice in the workplace, supporting them to apply their new knowledge and skills in their jobs. 

Dawn's favourite thing about the role is seeing an apprentice progress through all the AAT levels and see their job role develop as they gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours to become accounting professionals. 

Meredith has 17 years of teaching experience with a variety of FE providers, from Colleges to Training Providers. She has taught a wide range of qualifications from GCSE English, Functional Skills English, Key Skills, Level 1 Sustainability and E3 Customer Service.  Meredith has achieved her PGCE and Level 5 Dyslexia Literacy Specialism.  In her spare time, she enjoys painting and crafting.

Wendy has worked in Apprenticeships for over 25 years, the last 12 of which have been spent at Bury College.  Her role is to deliver Functional Skills Maths at levels 1 and 2 which can be challenging and rewarding in equal measure.  Most learners on the apprenticeship have not been in any formal education for some time and are anxious about doing any kind of maths again.  

Her role isn’t just to teach maths but to gain their trust, boost their confidence and show them that maths doesn’t have to be such a scary word. As a lifelong learner, she takes great pride in her work and ensures that her learners take full advantage of the opportunities they are given.  Wendy has been recognised for her efforts through the Bury College Star Awards for which she won an award under the category of Ambition. 

To chat with any of our Learning and Skills Coaches, please email apprenticeships@burycollege.ac.uk.