Debbie Gardiner (Executive Chairman) awarded MBE
Debbie Gardiner, Executive Chairman of Qube Learning has been recognised for her work in the FE and charity sector.
Debbie, who has over 17 years of leadership and management experience in further education, is passionate about providing high quality training for apprentices, trainees and employers and has been awarded an MBE for Services to apprenticeships and charities.
First appointed as MD of Qube Learning, based in Abingdon, in 2006, Debbie was promoted to CEO in 2010 and in December 2017 was announced as Executive Chairman. Qube Learning’s mission is to ‘inspire the future’ and Debbie is passionate about offering development opportunities to help people reach their full potential.
Debbie said: “To be awarded an MBE is a great honour and one which I’m so delighted to receive. Working within this sector is very important to me, I’m a firm believer in giving people a chance, providing them with the support, guidance and training they need to have the best chance of success. This honour is a credible acknowledgment of not only the work I have done, but also the momentous effort Qube Learning have put in too.”
Alongside her role at Qube, Debbie spends much of her personal time undertaking voluntary roles for charity. She is a Cancer Research Campaigns Ambassador for South West Bedfordshire and helps fundraise and raise awareness on the organisation’s political campaigns to improve survival rates. Additionally, she is part of the Patient and Public Involvement group at the Oxfordshire Universities Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Debbie also holds a voluntary role on the Board of Directors for the Association of Employer and Learning Providers (AELP). She chairs the subcontractor working group and attends several other AELP parties; all of which is about shining a light on the education division and supporting AELP to increase stakeholders’ knowledge, understanding and awareness, and make further improvements.
Debbie added “Qube work a lot within the Health and Social Care sector, and it gives me a deeper understanding of the impact that illness can have on someone’s life. I hope that through my efforts with the charities that I can continue to aid many through difficult and challenging times.”
Mark Dawe, chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, said: “Debbie Gardiner is a strong and very constructive presence on the board of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers. Her passion to make a difference for the lives of young people is very apparent. Not only does this get expressed through her desire to see apprenticeships grow but she really wants traineeships to succeed for those in our society that need the most support. Debbie’s advice on quality improvement issues is also invaluable. AELP is therefore delighted that she has been recognised in the New Year’s Honours.”
Martyn Warwick, Usdaw Lifelong learning project worker, NE division, said: “I would like to pass on my congratulations to Debbie on receiving this much-deserved accolade. This recognition is in tribute to the high level of professionalism and commitment to a learner centric delivery of learning and education, especially Apprenticeships and functional skills, that is clearly embedded within Qube and an ethos led from the top. I have been very lucky to work with Qube alongside a number of partner originations (and now Usdaw itself) to support a range of learners and learning for many years and the quality of service and delivery is a reflection on Debbie’s leadership of the organisation . Many congratulation on being awarded this well-deserved MBE.”
Tony Holloway, Operations Director for Qube Learning, said: “It is fantastic to see Debbie Gardiner recognised for her contributions to learning. Her inspirational leadership and commitment to students has impacted so positively on many thousands of lives. It is a privilege to work alongside Debbie and experience the vision of enhancing the lives of the people we support and those in the wider community. Debbie thoroughly deserves her MBE for the work she has done and continues to lead by example and motivate all around her.”
Also featured in:
FE Week
FE News
TES
ITV News
Dunstable Gazette
Oxford Mail
The Herald
Telegraph and Argus
Bodyshop Magazine
Apprenticeships Directory