Breakfast Briefing with Sir David Bell, Vice Chair, Skills England
Join us for this breakfast briefing exploring the role of partnership in addressing skills and occupation gaps to boost growth.
When registering for this event you can choose whether you would prefer to attend in-person or virtually. Please note in-person capacity is limited, and any members we are unable to accommodate face-to-face will be offered the opportunity to join virtually. The livestream will run from 08:30-09:30.
With a backdrop of high rates of unemployment and economic inactivity, addressing the skills challenge facing the UK will be key to delivering on the government’s Plan for Change.
We are delighted to welcome Sir David Bell, Vice Chair at Skills England, to share an update on the priority areas for the organisation and how greater collaboration across the sectors can support these.
Join us on the day and you will:
- Understand Sir David’s role in shaping the strategic direction of the organization in order to deliver growth and unlock opportunities across the country
- Explore the approach being taken by Skills England to tackle the UK’s skills needs and shortages
- Discuss how cross-sector collaboration can enable a joined-up approach to skills and developing partnerships across the public, private, civil society and education sectors
Speaker
Sir David Bell became the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Sunderland on 24 September 2018.
Sir David was born in Glasgow in March 1959. Educated at a comprehensive school, he took degrees at the University of Glasgow and obtained his PGCE from Jordanhill College of Education.
In a career spanning over 40 years, Sir David has held a number of major posts across the education system. Between 2012 and 2018, he was Vice-Chancellor at the University of Reading. Previously, he was Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education for six years, serving four Secretaries of State and three Prime Ministers. He also served as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools for nearly four years.
Sir David began his career as a primary school teacher and later became a head teacher. He was Director of Education and Libraries with Newcastle City Council and Chief Executive of Bedfordshire County Council. He was a Harkness Fellow based in Atlanta, Georgia for a year.
In 2020, Sir David was made a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Tyne and Wear. In the same year, he became the non-executive chair of Karbon Homes, a large social housing provider in the North East of England and Yorkshire. In 2025, he was appointed as Vice Chair of Skills England.
Sir David is Chair of Trustees of the Samling Institute for Young Artists, and a governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). He is also a ‘Member’ of the Aldridge Multi-Academy Trust (MAT), as well as sitting on the Sunderland City Board and the Remuneration Committee of Universities UK (UUK).
Sir David, who was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 2011, is married and has two adult daughters.
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Event places are non-transferable, but colleagues are welcome to register via our website or email us at [email protected].
