Michelle Elliott appointed vice principal of University Centre Quayside (UCQ)

Michelle Elliott has been appointed vice principal of independent higher education provider, UCQ, which recently launched its Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (CMDA).

Based in Quayside i-4 in Newcastle, Michelle will be responsible for strategic curriculum planning & performance, quality systems & processes, highly effective teaching, learning and assessment, and successful Ofsted outcomes across all six UCQ regional centres.

Michelle brings more than 20 years’ experience in the further education sector having previously held key management positions at Sunderland College and Stockton Riverside College covering a range of roles including, strategic apprenticeship growth, planning & performance, budgeting and employer engagement strategy.

As one of the first independent higher education institutes being encouraged by Government through the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, UCQ’s CMDA has been designed to work closely with employers to minimise impact within the workplace by providing greater flexibility than traditional higher education institutes.

Commenting on her new role, Michelle said,                                                                                                              

“I have known and worked in partnership with UCQ for more than eight years. So when Nick Mapletoft, UCQ’s principal and CEO, approached me and outlined the vision for the organisation, I really wanted to be a part of it. It has an excellent reputation and the work they are doing with the CMDA is revolutionary.”

“I am really looking forward to the challenge ahead as there is still an enormous challenge to educate businesses about the benefits qualified managers can bring in terms of improved business performance and productivity.”

Managing director of UCQ’s commercial operations, Stuart Cameron is delighted that Michelle has joined the team.

“Michelle is one of the most respected and experienced managers within academia and she will be a fantastic vice principal for UCQ,” he said.

“The launch of our CMDA provides an excellent opportunity to develop more effective managers to help UK businesses lead the way.

“It is staggering that only 20 percent of British managers have a formal qualification in management, according to research by the Chartered Management Institute, which is one of the reasons attributed to the UK lagging behind other G7 economies in terms of productivity.

“With funding available through the Apprenticeship Levy, the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship provides a great opportunity for companies to develop their managerial teams with minimum disruption to the day to day running of the business.”