Professor Lorna Unwin
Lorna is Professor of Vocational Education in the Department of Lifelong Learning and Comparative Education at the Institute of Education, University of London. She is also Deputy Director of the ESRC-funded research centre, LLAKES (Learning and Life Chances in Knowledge Economies and Societies) based at the IOE. Lorna's work has both a national and international dimension to it and covers many areas of VET from a social, historical and political perspective. Topics of relevance include: VET policy and practice in the UK and abroad; workplace learning; influencing factors on the creation and maintenance of learning environments in and outside of work; young people (including apprentices) in the labour market; and the role of employers in the design and delivery of VET. In LLAKES, Lorna directs a set of projects exploring the role that education, training and the demand for skills play in meeting the competitiveness and social cohesion goals being pursued in city-regions in the UK. This includes a study of how national policies are interpreted and implemented at local level and the creation of innovative responses to local challenges.
Lorna is an international adviser to the OECD and is regularly consulted by government departments in the UK, as well as bodies such as the TUC and NIACE. Lorna was also a regular attendee and valued member of the SSDA's Expert Panel.