Gemma is a social policy expert and experienced leader in non-profit and membership organisations. With strong expertise in post-16 education, student voice and housing, she has worked across the UK education and charity sectors for 18 years, specialising in centring marginalised and intersectional voices in research and policymaking.
As a consultant, Gemma has delivered: – interim director capacity for UCLan Students Union; increased student participation in policymaking for several universities; a redesigned youth and student engagement approach for Save the Children; and research on postgraduate experiences in ‘Post-1992’ institutions.
Gemma was previously Director of the Student Engagement Partnership, Head of Research at City and Guilds, and Head of Further Education at the National Union of Students. She has brokered funding and multi-agency partnerships to build student voice capacity in colleges and training providers, and developed a national society for apprentices. She provides policy and strategy advice to senior leaders and trustees and has appeared on numerous government advisory groups on the post-16 learner experience.
Gemma is an ESRC-funded PhD candidate, pursuing interests in political philosophy, democracy and housing inequality.