Senior appointments at Coventry College aiming to boost city’s business links

Coventry College has made two major appointments as it aims to boost business in the city ahead of City of Culture.

Gemma Knott has returned to the region to join the college as Assistant Principal for Business Growth while Sibtain Naqvi has been recruited as Head of Marketing, Sales and Recruitment.

Both will be key members of the team which is looking to strengthen links between the college – which has two centres in the city – and regional business.

Gemma, who has previously worked at Stratford and Warwickshire Colleges, emphasised that the regeneration of Coventry and the chance to increase apprenticeships for young people influenced her decision to move to the college.

She will now work with businesses to learn more about what skills they require from new starters in the lead up to 2021.

Gemma said: “My aim is to bring businesses in Coventry closer than ever to our college, we want to be their first port of call when they are looking for an apprentice and we want to make sure our apprentices leave a lasting, positive impression.

“With the regeneration going on across the city and with 2021 on the horizon, we can play a big part in the future of Coventry.

“The phrase being ‘sent to Coventry’ is starting to take on a whole new meaning, it is something to be proud about because there is so much going on here.

“I have worked in roles at education establishments across the region and what struck me about Coventry College is the facilities we have, they are inspiring.

“I can’t wait to meet our students and I am excited for what the future holds.”

Sibtain’s role will see him work to boost the profile of Coventry College across the region and nationally.

Raised in Birmingham, he has previously worked in roles across Europe and Asia before moving back to the Midlands four years ago.

Sibtain said: “Coventry College has a great range of provisions coupled with the fantastic student representation which makes it a very exciting challenge for me to drive growth and awareness of what is on offer.

“There is huge potential for growth, innovation and development for the college.

“My personal ambition is to ensure Coventry College gets greater recognition as a great place to study, work and develop skills while ensuring business growth, partnerships and innovation are at the forefront of our thoughts.

“The City of Culture 2021 will allow us to showcase our excellent provisions and we look forward to being an active member.”