AIM appoints new Director of Strategic Growth and Service Excellence
14 October 2024
Matt Evans appointed to AIM's Senior Leadership Team
I began my journey in Further Education (FE) over 20 years ago as a lecturer in Public Services. Early on, I developed a deep passion for teaching and quickly recognised the transformative impact Further Education can have on individuals' lives. This realisation solidified my decision to dedicate my career to the sector. Leveraging my degree in Sport, I soon expanded my teaching across multiple subject areas and embarked on a path toward senior leadership.
After 11 years of frontline teaching, I faced redundancy. Rather than seeing it as a setback, I embraced the opportunity to explore broader aspects of vocational education. This led to my appointment as Vocational Senior Standards Manager at Pearson Education, where I engaged in diverse responsibilities—from qualification design and quality assurance to leading various awarding series. I also played a pivotal role in establishing the grading framework for Level 3 BTEC qualifications, following the introduction of external assessments.
Vocational education
My expertise in vocational education culminated in my appointment as a Vocational Consultant for Pearson at the international level. This role involved sourcing and managing large-scale projects that implemented BTEC qualifications in countries such as Japan and Uzbekistan, and I collaborated with international educational centres and Ministries of Education. These experiences deepened my understanding of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) globally, which ultimately became the focus of my Master’s thesis on the globalisation of education and the considerations for exporting British qualifications to international markets.
Passion for the awarding sector
My commitment to leadership and vocational education inspired me to pursue a Level 7 Master’s Degree Apprenticeship in Senior Leadership and Business Management through Kent University. Following a restructuring at Pearson, I transitioned into a Director role in Commercial Development with the Education and Training Foundation and, more recently, served as Head of Business Development on a maternity cover contract with the Association of Colleges. However, my passion has always remained within the awarding sector, particularly in delivering a customer-centric approach.
As a parent of two young sons, one of whom has 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, I understand firsthand the critical importance of providing a varied and inclusive education for the workforce of tomorrow.
Start a conversation
I am thrilled to join AIM as the new Director of Strategic Growth and Service Excellence. I bring a passion for fostering growth and enhancing service quality, and I can’t wait to dive into this exciting role. I genuinely look forward to connecting with all of you and would love to hear your ideas or simply chat. Please feel free to reach out for a meeting — I’m looking forward to working together.
Contact: matt.evans@aimgroup.org.uk