Bishop Auckland College’s new Assistant Principal for Business and Community is focused on contributing to the growth and development of the region after starting her new role.
The College, rated as good with outstanding features by Ofsted this month, has officially announced Anne-Marie Chiswell’s appointment to the leadership team position.
The 41-year-old brings a wealth of experience and a huge passion for education, having worked in the Further Education (FE) sector for many years.
Originally from Hereford, Anne-Marie moved to the North-East for university and discovered her love of teaching while working with secondary school students.
She said: “I found teaching through working with Year 10 secondary students running radio production tasters while at university.
“That opened up my passion for working with young people to unleash their creativity and provide opportunities to inspire them and open their eyes to the creative industries and their potential careers.”
Anne-Marie went on to complete her PGCE, taught media production and then progressed into various management roles in FE.
She is excited to join Bishop Auckland College and help boost the economy across the area through building partnerships and helping more people into work.
A prime example of this is the College reopening the McIntyre Centre, an iconic Grade II listed building on Newgate Street, as a hub for community engagement, skills development and job creation in the heart of the town.
“This is a really exciting role I’m taking on offering an incredible opportunity to build stronger connections between the college, local businesses and the wider community,” said Anne-Marie.
“I’m excited to take on the role at such a pivotal time for the North-East. This region is brimming with exciting opportunities, thriving industries to emerging sectors driving innovation and growth.
“Equipping learners with the skills needed to access these opportunities is essential. I look forward to working closely with local businesses and community partners to address skills gaps, provide training that meets employer needs and help our learners build an exciting career in this region.”
Anne-Marie is also excited to be working with the experienced team at Bishop Auckland College and forging strong relationships with local businesses to provide learners with the skills they need to succeed.
She said: “I look forward to collaborating with local businesses and community partners to bridge skills gaps, deliver training tailored to employer needs and empower our learners to achieve their potential.”
Bishop Auckland College believes Anne-Marie’s leadership and expertise will be invaluable in strengthening its links with the business community and providing students with the best possible opportunities for success.
Shaun Hope, the Principal and CEO of Bishop Auckland College Group, said: “After a very competitive recruitment process we were thrilled to appoint Anne-Marie.
“She brings a wealth of experience of leading work with businesses and community organisations and support them with education and training.
“Already Anne-Marie has started to implement that experience with our partners here in South West Durham.
“It is a really exciting time here at Bishop Auckland College, we are on the back of an Ofsted inspection that highlights the journey the College is on to become outstanding.
“We recently opened the McIntyre Centre, our state of the art training facility in the heart of Bishop Auckland.
“We have continued to partner with local community organisations as we look to expand the work we do for the local people in our area.
“Anne-Marie will be pivotal in leading this work and supporting the College’s future achievements.”
*For further information about Bishop Auckland College check out bacoll.ac.uk