Clare Vertigen
Managing Director of the South West Apprenticeship Company @South West Apprenticeship Company Limited (SWAC)
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WORK HISTORY
Managing Director of the South West Apprenticeship Company @South West Apprenticeship Company Limited (SWAC)
In 2009, Triangle Group founded SWAC after successfully securing a government bid for the development of Apprenticeship Training Agencies (ATAs) in England. From the ground up, I grew the business by developing strategic partnerships with local training providers and host employers. Under my leadership, SWAC has employed over apprentices across all sectors, providing high-quality employment and training opportunities while supporting businesses in addressing their workforce needs.• Provide strategic leadership, overseeing all aspects of operations, marketing, and stakeholder engagement.• Direct a high-performing team, ensuring apprenticeship programmes meet internal KPIS and quality standards.• Develop and execute business growth strategies, securing funding and forging partnerships to expand opportunities.• Lead the internal Quality Team, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.• Represent SWAC on various industry boards and working groups, advocating for skills development and apprenticeship growth.• Designed and implemented talent acquisition strategies, supporting employers in recruiting and developing top talent.• Developed workforce planning solutions to align apprenticeship programmes with business needs and talent pipelines.• Advised businesses on leadership development programmes, helping organisations cultivate high-potential employees.• Championed DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives in talent development and recruitment practices.
EDUCATION
De Montfort University
Master of Arts - MA, Interior Design
De Montfort University
BA Hons, 3-Dimensional Design
De Montfort University
MA Design, 3-Dimensional & Interior
ABOUT CLARE VERTIGEN
I am passionate about helping organisations build strong, sustainable early-career pipelines, especially in sectors where talent truly shapes the future.As Managing Director at South West Apprenticeship Company (SWAC), I have spent 16+ years leading apprenticeship strategy, early-careers recruitment, and workforce planning across the South West, North West, London and the East Midlands. I have worked closely with employers in engineering, manufacturing, digital and technical fields, supporting them to solve skills shortages and grow their future workforce with confidence.My approach blends strategic insight with hands-on delivery. I build programmes that don’t just attract talent, they develop it, retain it and align it to long-term organisational goals. To date, SWAC has supported over 1,200 apprentices, with 98% progressing into full-time roles, higher-level training or new opportunities.I thrive in environments that are forward-thinking, fast-paced and driven by innovation. I am particularly energised by complex organisations, those tackling big challenges in engineering or advanced manufacturing, where early careers pathways play a critical role in future capability.Above all, I believe early careers should create opportunity, unlock potential and help organisations build the skilled, diverse teams they need to succeed for decades to come.
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