Name: Gill Foden
Job Title: Head of Learning & Development, Widening Participation and Apprenticeships
What job(s) did you do before this?
I have had quite a few different jobs since the age of 14 when I started in retail. I started working for a local Council when I was 16 and have worked in the public sector across Councils and NHS Trusts for most of my career. All of my jobs have been about people, and I have focused on roles in Human Resources, Learning and Development and Organisational Development. I have often held more than one job at the same time including in a perfume shop and had my own coaching business for a while. I am also a lecturer at a college and support learners with HR qualifications.
Briefly describe a typical day in your job role (tasks carried out)
No two days are the same, it can be attending meetings, delivering training, working in schools, meeting our trade union representatives, writing reports and much, much more.
Have you had any special training/completed any qualifications?
When I first started working, I needed 5 GCSEs. Since then, I have undertaken HR qualifications called CIPD, I have coaching qualifications and psychometric testing. An important part of the job is keeping my knowledge and skills up to date. My highest qualification is a master’s degree.
What would you say your key skills are? What type of person are you?
My job and life in general are very busy, therefore I have to be very organised. A flexible approach is essential as my role requirements change on a regular basis. I often juggle lots of different tasks and need a range of skills to do this.
When I was in school, I was terrified of giving presentations, but now I deliver training courses to staff and young people regularly.
My most important learning was when given an opportunity in work, never to say no. This has taken my careers down pathways that I could never imagine and has made my options for jobs much wider and much more interesting.
My value is ‘making a difference’, and I love the opportunity to do this.