The chair of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute) has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Antony Jenkins joined the Institute in June 2016 and has led our expansion from a start-up to a leading force in the technical education arena.
Under his stewardship we have overseen major expansion of high-quality apprenticeship standards – with over 600 now available for employers and learners. He has also led the Institute’s delivery of innovative new T Levels and seen the Institute begin to approve wider technical qualifications.
Jennifer Coupland, chief executive of the Institute, said: “I would like to congratulate Antony on this tremendous honour. He has been an exemplary chair for the Institute. His calm and authoritative leadership has been vital, taking us on a journey to create hundreds of employer-led apprenticeships and T Levels, benefiting people and employers right across the country. As a result of Antony’s leadership, we now have the building blocks in place for a high-quality unified skills system."
In addition to his work with the Institute, Antony is a respected figure in the banking and digital sectors, as a previous Group CEO of Barclays and now leading 10X Future Technologies, a digital banking platform.
He has been seminal in attracting employers to the Institute who are prepared to give their time voluntarily to develop new and high-quality apprenticeships and T Levels that benefit businesses and apprentices, with over 4,000 employers now actively involved in our work.
The employer-led approach that he has championed and nurtured has boosted the quality and public standing of apprenticeships, with now approximately 576,000 people taking an apprenticeship in England.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused huge problems for businesses and Antony led on supporting employers and apprentices during this time. The Institute has rolled out over 150 temporary flexibilities for apprenticeships that have helped keep apprentices learning during these challenging times.
Antony leaves the Institute in July 2021 as his term as chair comes to an end.
Antony said “I’m delighted and humbled by this recognition. It’s been a privilege to work with the committed and talented team and board of the Institute on the vital work of building a quality skills system. I’m proud of the work we have done together.”