Spotlight On Fiona Stilwell, CEO of PETA

“If you believe something will happen, it will – both positive and negative.”

PETA Ltd is a training and apprenticeship provider based in Portsmouth. We offer corporate training courses and apprenticeship programmes in Engineering, IT, Health & Safety, Business, Management and Finance. We are a registered charity, directed by an executive council of leaders elected from our member base. We operate on a self-financing basis and are non-profit making, which means all our funds are reinvested into the services and training we deliver.

Tell us a bit about your role and how it supports your organisation?

As the CEO I see my role as supporting, developing, coaching and challenging the team to be the best they can be to support our employers and apprentices.

Did you do an Apprenticeship or how did you start your career?

I started my career in the hospitality sector and was leading a team at 18, I truly believe this has helped me in my current role as I have been able to succeed and fail over many years to help develop my leadership capability.

What has been your career highlight to date?

Being offered my current role as CEO of PETA, I feel it is a perfect blend of using my skills from a corporate role and public sector to lead a purposeful organisation.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

If you believe something will happen it will – both positive and negative.

If you were not working in this sector, what other industry would you have pursued a career in?

I am fascinated by business so anything business-related which has an ethical purpose I would enjoy.

What is coming up for your organisation in the next 12/18 months?

We are really focused on modernising the delivery and looking forward to continue working closely with our employers to develop new programmes to meet their future needs.

Tell us one thing about the organisation that others might not already know.

We are owned and governed by local employers who are members of PETA Ltd, this ensures our delivery meets employers future needs.

As an association, what one thing do you think ALPS/ALPHE has done that has made a real difference to our members?

We have benefitted from participating in the local skills improvement plan work which ALPS/ALPHI have ensured that member organisations have been consulted with.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges, threats, and opportunities in the next 12/24 months for ALPS/ALPHI members?

Continuing funding rule changes and a lack of increase to funding to apprenticeship standards.

Ascentis Welcome Message

Ascentis is a national, charitable Awarding Organisation and Access Validating Agency. We’re market leaders in ESOL, and as an AVA we offer over 25 Access to HE qualifications. Our mission is to enable learning through innovative education and exceptional customer service.

We also offer qualifications in employability, construction, digital and a range of short online qualifications for enrichment.

We’re looking forward to bringing valuable insight to the network from our specialist areas, and most of all, to listening to what you have to say. We want to ensure the products we release are fit for purpose, and you’re the best people to advise us on this.

If you’d like to learn more, our website is www.ascentis.co.uk or you can contact Clarissa Wheeler, Strategic Partnership Manager, on clarissa.wheeler@ascentis.co.uk or  www.linkedin.com/in/clarissaascentis .