The TVET UK Council comprises:
Martin Doel, Chief Executive, Association of Colleges
Martin Doel took up his appointment as Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges(AoC) in 2008, after a successful career in the Royal Air Force. AoC’s role is to represent and support the interests of Further Education, Sixth Form and Specialist Colleges and to provide them with a range of support services. Martin was appointed OBE in 1998 for his work in support of operations in the Balkans and for his contribution to Anglo-German relations. He holds a Masters Degree with Distinction from King’s College, London and a First Class Honours Degree in Education from King Alfred’s College Winchester.
Tony Millns, Chief Executive, English UK
Born in Doncaster in 1951 and educated at the Grammar School there, Tony Millns taught English as a foreign language in Finland before going up to Oxford in 1969. He was director of communications/marketing/PR for Cambridgeshire County Council (1981-4), the University of London (1984-91) and the Association of County Councils (1991-3).
In 1993 he became a senior civil servant, as Assistant Chief Executive of the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority (SCAA), where over the next four years he worked on all three of the Dearing reviews. In 1997, on the merger of SCAA with the National Council for Vocational Qualifications, he became Assistant Chief Executive of the new body, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. In late 1999, he was appointed Chief Executive of the Association of Recognised English Language Services (ARELS) Ltd. In 2004, when ARELS and BASELT joined forces to create English UK, the world's leading language teaching association, he became English UK's first Chief Executive. As Chief Executive of English UK, he is responsible to the Board for the association’s strategy, policy and general management, and he runs the association on a day-to-day basis between Board meetings.
He holds a prize-winning MBA from Henley Management College and an MBA in Technology Management from Grenoble Graduate School of Business.
Dominic Savage OBE, Director General, BESA (and Chair of the TVET UK Council)
BESA is one of the founding organisations of TVET UK. With over thirty years of experience in the industry, Dominic sits on a variety of UK government committees and working groups on education, particularly in relation to new technologies, and international trade. Dominic devised the BETT exhibition, held each January in London, the largest and best attended educational technology event in the world. He is a partner in organising the UK Government’s Learning and Technology World Forum/Moving Young Minds conference for Ministers of Education worldwide, which takes place in London in BETT week. He is also the Chair of SAGES, the DBIS Sector Advisory Group for Education and Skills. Dominic is Chair of Governors of a London Technology College, which was recently the second most improved school in England and a governor of another secondary school. He received the OBE from Her Majesty the Queen in 1997 for services to education.
Brian Hilton CB MRAC, President, TVET UK
Brian, is Chairman of the Financial Services Commission in Gibraltar and serves as a Non-Executive Director on various insurance and re-insurance companies in the City of London. He is also Chairman of a hi-tech company. In addition he is a Governor of the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester and a Trustee and Governor of Hampden Gurney Church of England Primary School. Brian has been a senior civil servant working with the then Prime Minister John Major in the Cabinet Office, and retired from the Department of Trade and Industry in 1999 as a Deputy Secretary.
David Denton, Business Development Director, CIEH
David Davies, International Business Manager, Edexcel
Amina Wakefield, Head of International Office, Cambridge Regional College
Dr Amina Wakefield has over 20 years’ experience in business development in different sectors of education in the UK and overseas. Her roles have included lecturing, career advising, directing, international marketing and business development. She is currently Head of the International Office at Cambridge Regional College, Chair of Cambridge Regional College and Director of Cambridge Worldwide Consultancy. Dr Wakefield has led education projects in 22 countries and also works with private investers in the Middle East supporting them to establish new training centres and private education institutions.
Craig Wilson, Assistant Principal, Stevenson College
Sanjeev Ohri, Business Partnership Manager, Dudley College
Sanjeev Ohri has been Dudley College’s International Business Development Executive since 2000. Having worked in the sector since 1987, he has previously worked for the Chamber of Commerce before becoming Dudley College’s Work Based Learning Manager, where he was part of the management team overseeing the successful growth of employer-based learning provision to over 1000 employers. Sanjeev has previously been responsible for developing HR and training strategy for two private training providers and for delivering training in leadership and management to over 500 individuals employed in 300 different public and private institutions. Sanjeev is also a qualified vocational assessor and internal verifier, responsible for a number of different vocational areas. Sanjeev is a qualified national and international external verifier responsible for quality assurance and awarding centre accreditations. Sanjeev was born in the United Kingdom and studied at Wolverhampton University and has been based in Dudley for the last 11 years. His career has also included establishing his own successful businesses in Hospitality and Catering and property development. In recent years his management experience has encompassed quality assurance systems, curriculum development, development of national occupational standards, management information systems, bespoke employer partnerships around the world and acquisitions and mergers. Sanjeev is committed to providing students of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to improve their employment prospects, allowing them to undertake education and training through strategic employer partnerships.
Steve Swinden, Managing Director, Flamefast
Steve has been the Managing Director of Flamefast (UK) Ltd for over 10 years. Flamefast is a leading supplier of Hot Metalworking equipment to both school and vocational education marketplaces both in the UK and overseas. He believes that the TVET strategy is an excellent vehicle to establishing opportunities overseas for UK suppliers using the network of embassies and contacts throughout the world. He also believes that TVET’s main asset is its members and the support they will give to making this strategy a success.
Tim Johnsen, Managing Director, Eagle Scientific
Tim Johnsen formed Eagle Scientific in 1979. He initially trained and worked as a science teacher before joining Griffin and George as an area Sales Manager in the UK. This was followed by a period as resident Sales Manager selling educational equipment in Nigeria. For the last 30 years Tim has managed and developed Eagle Scientific Ltd as both a science equipment supply company and an international project contractor, predominantly involved in the supply of equipment and services in the fields of technical education and vocational training.
