Jennifer Coupland joins LSBU Group to drive forward skills portfolio
Jennifer Coupland is to join London South Bank University (LSBU), bringing with her a wealth of experience of education and skills policy making within government.
The Chief Executive of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) will leave her current post to take on a six-month secondment as Pro Vice-Chancellor, Skills Portfolio from February. The secondment will be funded by the Department for Education.
Jennifer will be supporting the University as they develop their 2025-2030 strategy, bringing her knowledge of the labour market, skills and training products such as apprenticeships, T Levels and higher technical qualifications.
Jennifer Coupland took up the post as Chief Executive of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education in November 2019, an arms-length body of the Department for Education. She has led on Skills system reforms, improving the quality of training by establishing the system of employers setting standards for training in England.
Over a million people have undertaken IfATE approved apprenticeships during her time at IfATE and her work with employers has led to huge gains in the quality, credibility and demand for apprenticeships.
Under her leadership, apprenticeships have become a core part of the training offer at blue-chip companies including GSK, BAE Systems, BBC, Microsoft, NHS, Laing O’Rourke, PwC, Rolls Royce, NatWest, and John Lewis, and more and more young people and parents are seeing apprenticeships as a prestigious route to a successful career.
Before joining IfATE Jennifer was Director of Professional and Technical Education in the DfE for three years, where she was the Senior Responsible Officer for the T Level programme, and led on reforms to Higher Technical Qualifications and other vocational qualifications at levels 2 and 3.
Jennifer has also worked in other education leadership roles and departments supporting primary, further and higher education and began her career in the Employment Service.
Jennifer’s experiences will be invaluable as LSBU continues to develop its educational pathways in collaboration with employers. Her initial focus will be on LSBU Group’s Skills Portfolio and how it can be developed and delivered to meet the needs of employers whilst also equipping students with the key skills that will help them transition to skilled work or university study.
Jennifer Coupland said: “I am delighted to be joining London South Bank University as Pro Vice-Chancellor, Skills Portfolio.
“I’ve followed LSBU’s journey over the past 10 years and think it is such an innovative place. With a University, Colleges, and an Academy as part of the Group, it’s an exciting model with huge potential. I am looking forward to joining the team to support them in developing their Skills offer for the next 5 years of their new strategy.”
Professor David Phoenix, Vice-Chancellor and CEO of LSBU Group, said: “This secondment will benefit our Academies, Colleges and University – Jennifer comes with a wealth of experience around the development and delivery of new qualifications.
“Jennifer will help us to continue our sector leading approach to the creation of educational pathways and it is especially well timed given the development of our next 5 year strategy.”