ERSA Employability Awards 2019 – Judging Panel Announced
The ERSA Employability Awards 2019, now in their seventh year, aims to celebrate the hard work and dedication of the employment support sector. Nominations are encouraged from those involved in the journey to work including jobseekers, employment advisers, employers and organisations involved in employment support.
The panel of expert judges will have the challenging task of picking the winners and where applicable, highly commended entries, in nine award categories. The finalists will be announced on 30 April, whilst the Lifetime Achievement Award category will be judged by a separate panel of industry experts.
ERSA is delighted to announce that the Employability Awards 2019 will be judged by:
Phillip Blond, Director, ResPublica
Phillip is an internationally recognised political thinker and social and economic commentator. He bridges the gap between politics and practice, offering strategic consultation and policy formation to governments, businesses and organisations across the world. He founded ResPublica in 2009 and is an academic, journalist and author. Prior to entering politics and public policy, he was a senior lecturer in theology and philosophy, teaching at the Universities of Exeter and Cumbria. He is the author of Red Tory (Faber and Faber 2010), which sought to redefine the centre ground of British politics around the ideas of civil association, mutual ownership and shared enterprise.
Jane Hamilton, Sunemployment Editor, The Sun
Jane has been the Sunemployment Editor since 2012. As well as covering employment and training in the weekly Friday column, Jane focuses on social mobility, helping disadvantaged jobseekers and ensuring equal opportunities through education. Jane manages the annual Sunemployment Jobs Roadshow, and continues to edit Mrs Crunch and cover consumer exclusives.
Mark Staley, Assistant Employment Account Director, Department for Work and Pensions
Mark has been involved in Contracted Employment Programmes for a number of years working on policy development, programme design, performance management and leading procurement. He has a breadth of knowledge in this area and is passionate about collaborative partnership working and innovation. Mark is also part of the Senior Leadership Group for Contracted Health and Employment Services and chairs this Directorate’s people group which has a focus on ensuring that ‘our people’ are at the heart of everything it does. Mark follows in the footsteps of Gill Holmes, Nick Butler and John Michalski in representing the Department on the ERSA Employability Awards judging panel.
Tanya Weston, Winner of Adviser of the Year 2018, Genius Within
Since November 2015, Tanya has worked in custody (HMP Dartmoor Induction wing) and has supported her clients through the gate into the community. Her caseload are considered the hardest to help, with the poorest predicted outcomes due to multiple barriers – offending records, disabilities and time away from employment. Her clients are disengaged from all services when she starts work with them and she often receives referrals from other specialist agencies who have run out of ideas on how to help an individual. 100% of her caseload have a disability and/or neurodiversity. Tanya won Adviser of the Year at 2018’s Employability Awards and follows in the footsteps of Keith Tottingham and Adrian Bailey in joining the panel as a winner of the award, providing frontline expertise to the judging panel.
The awards are free to enter and are open to both members and non-ERSA members.
