Meet the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team

Andrew Wheeler has a connection to further education going back to the 1970s!  He became an FE lecturer in the 1980’s and then moved into tourism in the 1990’s, managing a major tourism attraction, creating a group travel marketing company and later in the 90’s heading up a local authority tourism department. Andrew also completed an MBA at this time – specialising in business planning for tourism.  From 2000 Andrew capitalised on his funding knowledge and bid ‘know-how’ creating a funding consultancy which he ran until 2012.  During this period, Andrew designed, developed and delivered two major national ESF projects for the British Hospitality Association, and successfully bid for many other projects in the tourism, culture and creative industries, and wrote several skills plans for regional bodies including Shaping Norfolk’s Future, a forerunner of New Anglia LEP.  Going back into FE in 2013, Andrew has lectured across further and higher education at West Suffolk College before creating a framework called PLACE 21 which has become a delivery vehicle for ‘skills convergence’ -  the idea of bringing the classroom closer to the world of work and vice versa.  Andrew currently is Head of Curriculum Initiatives at West Suffolk College, responsible for delivering PLACE 21 projects in the region.