New Baker Dearing chief executive announced

Baker Dearing Educational Trust(@BakerDearing) chief executive Simon Connell has announced he is stepping down at the end of this year.

Simon Connell has spent ten years with the trust, including the last five as chief executive, during which time UTCs have experienced transformational improvement. He will continue to support Baker Dearing on a part-time basis as chief adviser, ensuring stability and continuity at the charity.

A total of 82 per cent of UTCs are judged ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted compared with fewer than half five years ago. UTC leavers at 18 years old are five times more likely (at c.25 per cent) to become apprentices than the national average. They are almost twice as likely to go to university to study STEM subjects – with 50 per cent of 18-year-old UTC leavers taking that route.

Impressive UTC outcomes for young people have not gone unnoticed outside of the UK. Baker Dearing has been approached by several countries which recognise how its proven model of employer-led technical education can address their increasing, critical skills gaps. Simon Connell will work to build on the success of his and Baker Dearing’s international efforts to date, by developing commercial relationships to create and implement this model overseas.

Appointment of Kate Ambrosi as new CEO

Baker Dearing Educational Trust deputy chief executive Kate Ambrosi will take over as chief executive.

Kate Ambrosi brings a wide range of education experience, including nearly a decade as a teacher. She also served as head of economic development for Croydon Council.

Joining Baker Dearing in 2019 as director of innovation and learning, Kate was appointed director of education in 2023 and deputy chief executive in early 2024.

She has provided crucial support to Baker Dearing in significantly improving the quality of the UTC programme and has taken the lead on matters related to Ofsted, developing strong partnerships with officials, and successfully helping UTCs adapt to the inspection framework.

As the UTC programme has been successfully established and embedded in the English education system, she will now take the lead on enhancing the programme, with the aim of further driving up quality and increasing the profile of UTCs. She will also be developing the UTC Sleeve concept, which integrates technical education into mainstream secondary schools.

Baker Dearing Educational Trust chairman Lord Baker commented:

“Simon Connell leaves behind a tremendous legacy and I know that everyone in the UTC network will want to thank him for his outstanding service. Under his leadership UTCs are now delivering against their original aims and in doing so improving the lives of thousands of young people”

“Almost every country must rethink its approach to education to meet the needs of young people in today’s rapidly evolving world. Baker Dearing has led the way in England with UTCs. After our success in supporting the Ministry of Education in the UAE last year, the opportunity to progress the model overseas could further strengthen our charity and enable us to give greater support to the UTC movement within the UK. This is a very important initiative for Baker Dearing and I’m thrilled that Simon will lead it.”

“I am delighted that Kate Ambrosi is taking on the role of chief executive, to continue Baker Dearing’s work cultivating partnerships with employers so more young people benefit from a UTC education, and developing Baker Dearing further as an agent for high-quality, employer-led technical education and a beacon of best practice.”

Commenting on his move, Simon Connell said:

“Now is the right time for someone else to spearhead this exciting next phase of the Baker Dearing and UTC journey under a new government.

“I am extremely proud of my achievements to ensure that UTCs are unquestionably delivering against their aims. Chief among the achievements of Baker Dearing and UTCs are the fantastic destinations achieved by students.

“With Kate’s leadership, Baker Dearing will go from strength to strength.

“My passion for how a UTC education can change the lives of young people, often from a challenging start, remains steadfast. Therefore, I will continue supporting Baker Dearing as chief adviser. I am also excited by the opportunity to take our proven model of employer-led technical education to countries which clearly will benefit from this approach to meeting their vital skills needs.

“I would also like to pay tribute to the outstanding team at Baker Dearing, and of course to Lord Baker, for the invaluable part they have played in making UTCs the success they are today.”

Kate Ambrosi commented:

“I am as enthusiastic about supporting young people to fulfil their potential as I was on my first day as a teacher and am proud of our work to help young people reach life-changing destinations.

“The strong foundations laid by Simon and the team mean we can continue to expand the number of young people who benefit from a high-quality UTC education and develop new partnerships with employers.

“I am confident we can achieve this with the innovative and hard-working UTC staff, and the brilliant Baker Dearing team.”