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Stewart Foster
REGULATION, RISK AND ASSURANCE
Stewart is NCFE’s Chief Regulatory Officer and is responsible for Audit, Risk, Assurance, Health and Safety, Facilities, Safeguarding, Data Protection and External and Regulatory Affairs. He is also NCFE’s designated Responsible Officer to Ofqual, CCEA, Qualification Wales and SQA in relation to NCFE’s compliance with regulatory conditions as an Awarding and End-Point Assessment organisation.
Tell us a bit about you
I’m married with three daughters, have lived in the North East all my life, and love the easy access this gives to the fabulous coast and countryside. I have many interests and hobbies when I get the time to pursue them. I enjoy reading, podcasts, walking, DIY, clay pigeon shooting, and following the football.
I am NCFE’s board representative for the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), a membership organisation comprising the eight largest providers of qualifications in the UK. I am also a Foundation Governor for North Tyneside Learning Trust.
Tell us a bit about your career
After starting out working as an apprentice engineer, I moved into the education and training sector, working initially for Rolls Royce and Siemens Training Departments. I then moved into FE where I worked in many different roles, from curriculum to quality, over a 13-year period.
I joined NCFE in 2012 and have enjoyed numerous roles in my time here, including as Director of Product and Quality, Chief Operating Officer, and Managing Director of the Awarding business.
Why NCFE?
From an early age, I’ve been interested in the process of learning and get the greatest levels of satisfaction knowing that we are helping millions of people progress in their lives and careers. Within FE, I recognised the impact that qualifications and learning have on people and the doors that they can open.
When I joined NCFE, it was based on my experience as a customer – I saw the enthusiasm that NCFE colleagues showed for the company and products, which intrigued me. I wasn’t successful in my first application, but I eventually left a full-time permanent role to join NCFE on a one-year secondment and have never looked back.