I have been working with F2E since January 2026. Prior to this, I spent six years working as a Teaching Assistant at Bradfields Academy, where I developed strong skills in supporting and encouraging young people to reach their potential. I also gained valuable experience working within a pharmacy, which helped me develop excellent communication, organisation, and customer service skills.

I am passionate about supporting young people on their journey into employment, helping them build confidence, develop new skills, and find careers that they enjoy and are motivated to stay in. Seeing them succeed and achieve their goals is one of the most rewarding parts of my role.

As Head of Forward2Employment, I am passionate about supporting young adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) across Medway and Kent into employment. I strongly believe that with the right support and high aspirations, every young person has valuable, diverse skills to offer in the workplace.

Previously, I held the role of Vice Principal at Bradfields Academy within Fortis Trust. This experience has been instrumental in shaping my leadership approach and continues to inform my work at Forward2Employment. My background also includes working in mainstream education and as a Psychologist, which underpins my inclusive and person-centred approach.

I hold the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership. These have strengthened my ability to lead strategically, drive continuous improvement, and ensure that Forward2Employment provides the highest quality support and opportunities for our interns.

At Forward2Employment, I take a hands-on approach and really enjoy working closely with our team. Whether it’s supporting our Job Coaches in their work with interns or building relationships with employers who are keen to be part of our journey, I am always looking for ways to make our provision even stronger.

The most rewarding part of my role is seeing young people grow in confidence, develop their employability skills, and go on to achieve meaningful and sustainable employment—it’s what drives everything we do.

I am proud to lead a provision where belief in our young people is at the heart of everything we do, and where we celebrate every step of their journey into employment.

I am passionate about raising the aspirations and opportunities for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) across Medway and Kent and strongly believe that everyone has the right to work and to live a fulfilled life.

I am CEO of Fortis Trust which works as a family of collaborative and innovative academies and institutions. Together with Forward2Employment as our partner, we have the talents and strengths to improve the achievements and life chances of the students, families and communities we serve.

I oversee the work of Forward2Employment to ensure that the service delivered is of the highest standard and that all young adults are supported on their journeys towards gaining employment, developing sustainable employability skills and becoming active participants within their local communities.

People are my passion, whether that be supporting young people with learning difficulties, supporting my colleagues, networking with partners or spending quality time with my family, my focus is on helping others. I believe in enabling young people whatever their background or abilities to reach their goals. It’s so important in my role that I understand every student as an individual and help them to identify their strengths.

I also really enjoy working with other agencies so the young people and their families or carers have access to all relevant information that can be helpful when they are making decisions.

I have worked in Medway in both mainstream and SEND education settings for 15 years. In 2018, while working at Bradfield’s Academy, I had the opportunity to serve as a Job Coach during the Forward2Employment pilot scheme.

I have held a few roles since the pilot scheme, moving from Job Coach to Senior Job Coach and my current role, Employer Engagement Lead. I have had the pleasure of supporting F2E in its growth from its infancy. I hold a Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (specialism post-16 education /Supported internships)

In my current role, I oversee and improve transitions and transition planning for interns, and network with a variety of businesses and employers to widen the choice of internship opportunities available to F2E interns. I collaborate with schools, colleges, and local authorities, as well as external professionals and agencies, to promote our work and reach out to young people who need our support.

I support the Job Coaches in developing relationships and engagement with employers; I work closely with the admin teams and the wider team to collaborate with external professionals.

I am always looking out for new opportunities from businesses for our future interns. I am enthusiastic about changing the perception around SEND and neurodiversity in the workplace.

I started my role as a Job Coach at Forward2Employment in September 2021, with over six years’ experience working with SEND as a Teaching Assistant at Bradfields Academy, including a period as a Lead Teaching Assistant.

As Senior Job Coach, my role is to ensure the quality of the supported internship programme by providing Job Coaches and partner businesses with workplace support and guidance, enabling them to deliver high-quality teaching and learning to interns across a range of areas. This also includes helping the workplace make reasonable adjustments to ensure that interns can access the work environment appropriately, enabling them to get the best results from the internship.

Alongside working in the workplace, I assist teaching staff and job coaches with BTEC work skills assessments and with quality assurance of teaching, learning, and target tracking for their qualifications. This work is vital to ensuring that interns effectively bridge the gap between leaving traditional education and entering the world of work independently.

I am a hard-working professional with a caring nature and an approachable personality who will always lend a helping hand to those who need it. I take great pride in my work and am passionate about showing the world what young people with special needs can achieve if given the opportunity.

I am a Job Coach with over five years of experience supporting young people in education.

During my time as a Teaching Assistant, I worked with whole classes, small groups and on a one-to-one basis to help young people build confidence and trusting relationships. I completed my Level 3 Teaching Assistant NVQ while working in schools and later achieved my Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) qualification.

For two years, I lived in Cyprus, where I worked in a military primary school. This experience gave me a deeper understanding of the challenges and transitions young people and their families can face, while helping me develop new ways to provide support, encouragement, and stability during times of change.

Building positive relationships has always been among the most rewarding aspects of my work. I am passionate about helping young people build confidence, become more independent, and recognise their potential.

I am proud to be part of the Forward2Employment team and to support interns in developing new skills, achieving their goals and taking positive steps towards their future careers.

I started working with F2E in September 2024 after being offered an opportunity to take on something completely different. 

I had been asked if I would consider joining the team as a Job Coach based at Darent Valley hospital as I had the relevant experience to do so…. And I said yes. 

My previous work has mainly been within Healthcare as a Nurse in A&E, Police Custody Nurse, Event medical work and a 999 Call Handler for SECAMB.  Within these roles I have cared for and supported people from all experiences and areas of life, many with additional needs. 

I have also guided, taught and supported Nursing students while on their own placements and feel strongly that the qualities and experiences I have had as a Nurse are transferable to Teaching and Job Coaching. 

I have found a career here that givens me once again that feeling of making a difference in someone’s life. One where I can see the growth and potential and develop them, giving everyone the opportunity to experience those chances that in years gone by were not given. 

I look forward to seeing a future where equal opportunities really are made easier for all socially and at work .

I have over 20 years of extensive work place experience as a coach mentor, my role was to support and develop new and existing employees to gain the necessary skills and competencies required to be successful within their employment. In 2017, I volunteered to work with Bradfields Academy where I worked towards and achieved my Teachers Assistant Level 2 qualification. In 2018, Bradfields employed me as a medical assistant where I supported the students with their medical needs.

Working in the medical room gave me an understanding of the students, knowing how to talk to the students and to calm any upsetting situations; this experience can be adapted in both the classroom and on-the-job support with the interns.

Having a Teacher’s Assistant qualification allowed me to spend time in the classroom, supporting the students, and breaking down the understanding of learning, so students are able to progress. This enhanced my experience to work with various ages and supporting students when on work experience. Supporting young adults with SEND is a passion of mine, and being able to see the interns develop and thrive is very rewarding. I am a patient and positive individual that thrives on excellence. I have a caring approach and am able to adapt my abilities to each individual’s needs.

Within my job role, I fully support the interns 1 to 1 whilst in their work placement. I assist in the teaching of English, Maths BTEC, as well as Life skills and Work skills qualifications. I also guide them to develop their independence with travel training to secure permanent employment.

I am a Job Coach with nearly 10 years of experience supporting the special needs community. I care deeply about helping people of all ages reach their full potential, build independence, and find joy in their work. I strongly believe everyone deserves a fulfilling career and life, and I use my positive, high-energy approach to help make that possible. 

When I’m not supporting interns with their career goals, you’ll usually find me spending time with animals or exploring the ancient world. I’m a huge animal lover with a strong interest in history and archaeology, and I’m always keen to discover new historical sites and learn more about the past. 

My name’s Beth, and I’ve been a Job Coach at Forward2Employment since November 2024.

Each day, I support my interns within their placements, helping them gain confidence and valuable skills to successfully enter the working world.

I started my career training to become a qualified chef, spending over five years in the industry working in a country pub setting. I first became interested in education after joining an educational recruitment company, where I spent two years gaining vital knowledge and skills to effectively match the perfect role with the most suitable person. This is where my curiosity and passion for helping young people began. I learned extensively about different job roles and who might be the best person to fill each position. It led me down a rabbit hole of feeling like I could help make a difference myself.

My favourite part of being a Job Coach is building the confidence of the interns and having a helping hand in making them feel more comfortable and certain within their roles.

I am a Job Coach supporting young people as they learn career pathways, build employability skills, and gain the confidence needed to transition into work. I provide practical job‑readiness support and ongoing encouragement.

I started my career in the British Army where I served as an Infantry Soldier for 9 years. I then joined her Majesty’s Prison Service as a Prison Officer and have worked in several establishments with various categories of prisoner. I have seen first-hand how important it is that young people have the right start in their adult life and how badly things can go wrong if there isn’t support in place. I strongly believe that supported internships and employment provide that support.

I am currently Kent, Sussex and Essex regional Health, Safety and Fire Advisor working at establishments through the region. I am qualified to carry out Health Safety and Fire risk assessments and I will be vigilant in ensuring the safety of the interns when they undertake their placements.

I am a carpenter by training, but fell into the hospitality industry early in my working life where I learned very quickly the importance of strong teams, quality customer service and the building of healthy working relationships. It was through this role that I met my current employers.

I have worked for Richard Austin Alloys for 7 years now and manage our skilled and experienced sales team in their day to day tasks. RAA began offering placements for interns in 2022 after we were approached by Forward2Employment. I have experienced their work firsthand and the critical role they play in the development and growth of the interns that join their programme and the support offered to interns and associated businesses (Like RAA) to ensure successful placements and a fair chance for interns to experience working life.

I was excited to be asked to join the board at F2E and hope that my experiences can offer an insight into ways to maximise the potential from associated businesses and work towards successful placements where our interns and businesses have the support and reassurances that they need.