Spencer Academies Trust colleagues recognised at inaugural Midlands Careers Awards
Three Spencer Academies Trust colleagues have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to careers education after receiving nominations at the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) Careers Hub's inaugural regional celebration, “From Skills to Careers”.
Hosted in partnership with The Careers & Enterprise Company at the historic St Mary's Church in Nottingham, the event brought together schools, colleges, employers and partners from across the East Midlands to celebrate their shared commitment to improving opportunities for young people through high-quality careers education.
Among those recognised were Susan Sharp, Executive Director of Post-16 at Spencer Academies Trust, Andrew Kilgour, Careers Lead at Derby Moor Spencer Academy, and Rebecca Lowndes, Careers Lead at John Port Spencer Academy.
Susan was nominated for the “Trust Careers Impact Award” in recognition of her leadership in strengthening careers provision across Spencer Academies Trust. Her nomination highlighted the close partnership she has developed with the Careers Hub, ensuring every SAT secondary school completed an Internal Leadership Review and participated in a Peer-to-Peer Review during the academic year.
The nomination praised Susan for helping to create a shared culture of collaboration and continuous improvement across the Trust, enabling Careers Leaders and senior leaders to share best practice, identify priorities and drive meaningful, long-term improvements that benefit our young people.
Susan said: "I was honoured to be nominated and for the Trust Careers Leads to be recognised for their excellence. As the nomination was read out, I even found myself feeling quite nervous, which is unusual for me! The whole event felt special and was a real celebration of careers across the East Midlands.
"I'm pleased with how we have worked together as a team this year to strengthen the quality assurance of careers across the Trust. Careers Leaders have been incredibly positive about the process, with clear actions identified and a real enthusiasm to continue improving the opportunities we provide for our young people."
Andrew Kilgour was also nominated in recognition of Derby Moor Spencer Academy's outstanding partnership: "It was a great honour to be nominated for an award in recognition of the fantastic partnership Derby Moor Spencer Academy has with our Enterprise Adviser, Amanda Stevenson-Bate from Alstom. Amanda has embodied the true spirit of the Enterprise Adviser role, sharing her vast experience with staff across the school and working with members of the leadership team to help us develop our careers and employability programme successfully."
Rebecca Lowndes, Careers Lead at John Port Spencer Academy, was also nominated in recognition of the academy's strong partnership with its Enterprise Adviser. The nomination celebrated the exceptional employer engagement and collaboration that supports careers education at the academy, highlighting the impact of strong partnerships in helping students develop the skills and knowledge needed for their future careers.
The recognition is a testament to the collaborative approach to careers education across Spencer Academies Trust and the dedication of colleagues, employers and partners who continue to work together to create meaningful opportunities for young people.
Congratulations to Susan, Andrew and Rebecca on this well-deserved recognition.
