Nigel Benton

Executive Director, Provider Engagement Regions: London, East of England, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, South West, West Midlands, South East nigel.benton@nsafs.co.uk Tel: 07912 466 895

Having graduated from the University of Southampton in 1987 with an honours degree in psychology, Nigel has now spent more than 20 years developing a career in the Life Long Learning sector.

18 of those years have been specifically dedicated to the management and delivery of government-funded learning across a variety of organisations and occupations. For 11 years he was Regional Training Manager in the South West and South Wales for the largest training provider working with the motor industry at the time.

In 2004 he was appointed Chief Executive of the Western Training Providers Network. In this role he helped to provide a central point of engagement for and with the work-based learning community in the West of England Learning and Skills Council (LSC) area.

With the LSC agenda moving increasingly to a regional footing, Nigel originally convened and chaired the South West Regional Network of Networks, bringing together representatives from across the region to disseminate information and share best practice.

This group also provided a regular interface with the LSC Regional Director and his team, ensuring that the work-based learning provision was fully integrated in the overall regional offer.

Nigel has a long history of working with a wide range of key partners and stakeholders from across his region and the entire country. He is pleased at being able to bring this experience to bear in establishing the National Skills Academy for Financial Services in the South West.

Used to working to an employer-led imperative, Nigel sees the establishment of skills Academies as an exciting leap forward that will ensure the delivery of industry specific learning is fit for purpose.