Michelle Elliott appointed as vice principal of independent higher education provider, UCQ. The higher education institute recently launched its Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (CMDA).
Based in Quayside i-4 in Newcastle, Michelle Elliott will be responsible for a number of activities. This includes strategic curriculum planning & performance, quality systems & processes, highly effective teaching, learning and assessment. It also focuses on successful Ofsted outcomes across all six UCQ regional centres.
Michelle brings over 20 years’ experience in further education, holding management positions at Sunderland College and Stockton Riverside College. These covered a range of roles including, strategic apprenticeship growth, planning & performance, budgeting and employer engagement strategy.
As one of the first independent higher education institutes encouraged by Government through the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, UCQ’s CMDA works closely with employers to minimise impact within the workplace by providing greater flexibility than traditional higher education institutes.
Commenting on her new role, Michelle said,
“I have known and worked in partnership with UCQ for more than eight years. When Nick Mapletoft approached me and outlined the organisations vision, I wanted to be a part of it. It has an excellent reputation and the work they are doing with the CMDA is revolutionary.”
“I am really looking forward to the challenge ahead. There is still a challenge to educate businesses about the benefits qualified managers can bring with business performance and productivity.”
Managing director of UCQ’s commercial operations, Stuart Cameron expresses his delight that Michelle has joined the team.
“Michelle is one of the most respected and experienced managers within academia and she will be a fantastic vice principal for UCQ,” he said.
“The launch of our CMDA provides an excellent opportunity to develop effective managers to help UK businesses lead the way.
“It is staggering that 20% of British managers have a formal qualification in management, according to research by the CMI. This is a reason why the UK is lagging behind other G7 economies in terms of productivity.
“With funding available through the Apprenticeship Levy, the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship provides great opportunities for companies. They can therefore develop their managerial teams with minimum disruption to the day to day running of the business.”