In addition to our in-house research team we work with a number of research associates. They have extensive research experience of academia, policy-making and the private sector and play a crucial role in supporting the research work of the charity.
Senior Research Associate
Professor Prue Huddleston
Prue Huddleston is Emeritus Professor and the former Director of the Centre for Education and Industry at the University of Warwick. Her research interests include vocational education and training, vocational qualifications and work-related learning; she has published widely on vocational learning and applied pedagogy. Before joining the University she was a teacher and manager within the FE sector and worked on community and outreach programmes. She is a member of AQA Research Committee; OCR Qualifications Committee; City and Guilds Quality and Standards Committee; Ofqual Standards Advisory Group and an Editorial Board member of the Journal of Vocational Education and Training. She is a governor at Birmingham Metropolitan College.
Research Associates
Professor Chris James
Chris James is the Professor of Educational Leadership and Management in the Department of Education at the University of Bath. His main research interests are in the leadership and management in schools and colleges, the affective aspects of educational organisations, collaborative working in educational settings and school governing. During his career, Chris has worked with a range of public, private and not-for-profit organizations including numerous local authorities and schools.
Richard Barrett
Richard has 23 years’ experience in schools and FE as a teacher, Assistant Principal, examiner, author and college inspector. He later worked in education and human capital consulting in Europe, Africa and the Middle East with KPMG, Deloitte UK and then as Director and Education Lead for Deloitte Middle East. Richard contributed to UUK ‘Efficiency and Effectiveness in Higher Education’ report on process improvement in UK Higher Education, speaking at the national launch event. While leading training for 23,000 teachers he was a Board member for 14-18 Qualifications Reform. Richard served on the Ministerial Task Force enquiry into the work of careers advice professionals.
Dr Deirdre Hughes OBE
A freelance academic researcher, career development professional and government policy adviser. She has written over 125 articles and book chapters, and made over 200 presentations to international, national and regional professional groups dealing with all-age careers work, employment and skills issues. She is co-editor of the British Journal for Guidance and Counselling International Symposium Series. She is also a Cedefop appointed national expert in lifelong guidance and careers education.
Chris Percy
Chris Percy is a data scientist and strategy consultant, specialising in social change and the education/skills sectors. He has a passion for long-term impact analysis and has worked closely with Education and Employers in their ground-breaking work exploring the quantitative wage outcomes of school-age careers activities. A former Department for Education policy official, Chris was part of the team in 2009 that launched Education and Employers and he continues to work with us today as a research associate, as part of his research practice that includes collaborations and projects with organisations like the World Bank, the OECD, King’s College London, the Impetus Foundation and many others.