Andy Westwood, the former Government adviser and member of the Leitch review of skills, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of GuildHE.
Andy, 43, is a former head of policy at The Work Foundation and a former director of the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion.
He comes to GuildHE from Whitehall where he spent five years as a special adviser to ministers in the Treasury, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Communities and Local Government.
A strong defender of the autonomy of higher and further education, he is also a passionate advocate of co-operation and collaboration between institutions, employers and the wider economy.
He takes over in October from Alice Hynes, the present chief executive, who has been appointed to the post of Registrar at the University of Bedfordshire after more than three years at GuildHE.
Mr Westwood said: “GuildHE member institutions are at the forefront of developing a more diverse higher education system, offering greater choice for students and increasing value to employers. They are providing fresh routes into higher education for part time and mature students, courses which are both instantly relevant to employers and a major contribution to the drive to widen participation.”
Professor Ruth Farwell, GuildHE Chair and Vice-Chancellor of Buckinghamshire New University, said the appointment came at a crucial time for the future of higher education.
“I am delighted to welcome Andy Westwood to GuildHE. His wide policy background will be an asset to our members as they respond to the Browne review and its impact on student fees and to plans for a greater market place within a more diverse higher education sector,” she said.
Mr Westwood, who is married with two school-aged daughters, has published widely on raising skills, workforce development and the labour market.
He will continue to work with the OECD where he is President of the forum on social innovation, focusing on lifelong learning, employment and economic development.
He will also retain his links with the Institute of Education where he is a visiting fellow and with London South Bank and Buckingham universities where he is a visiting professor.
For more information, please contact:
Helen Bowles
GuildHE Deputy Chief Executive
Tel: 020 7387 7711
Email: Helen.bowles@guildhe.ac.uk
Tony Tysome
Director
Media FHE
Tel: 01629 650910
Mob: 07545 346076
Email: tonytysome@mediafhe.com
Notes to editors
GuildHE is a recognised higher education representative body. Its 32 members are among the most dynamic and fastest-growing institutions in the sector. For a list of GuildHE institutions, please click here