Richard Rochester Mrec

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT RICHARD ROCHESTER MREC

I have always been driven by a passion for increasing social mobility. From the start of my career, I recognised the importance of creating real opportunities for people to progress — whether through education, training or employment. This commitment has shaped everything I do, from designing NEET programmes that re-engaged young people and supported them into sector roles, to delivering employability and enterprise training that gave individuals the skills and confidence to succeed. I have also supported entrepreneurs to set up and grow their businesses through consultancy and enterprise workshops.My work with corporates and employers of all sizes has been a consistent thread. I have helped businesses access research expertise within universities across London and the East of England, bridging the gap between academia and industry. This experience gave me a strong commercial perspective and an understanding of how knowledge transfer and applied research can drive growth, innovation and competitiveness.At the same time, my background as a careers advisor grounded me in the importance of supporting individuals to achieve their best. I believe in developing people holistically, not only by giving them skills but also by helping them see their potential. This conviction extends to how I view education — schools, FE and HE should work hand in hand with employers, embedding the needs of the employment market into the learner journey. By doing so, we make recruitment and training more effective, bring employers closer to education, and smooth the transition from study to meaningful work.In my current role as a Senior English Lecturer, I apply this commercial, advisory and enterprise experience directly into FE. Working within FE has given me a deep appreciation of how colleges can embed commercial strategies, build community and employer partnerships, and deliver true social value. It has also sharpened my focus on inclusivity and SEND, ensuring that barriers are removed so every learner can succeed.I thrive on building cross-college partnerships that connect education, employers and communities. Whether through work experience, employer engagement or community projects, my goal is always the same: to create opportunities that benefit individuals, strengthen organisations, and contribute to wider social and economic impact.I am always interested in working with employers who are looking to further develop their connection with education, whether through partnerships, work experience, training or social value initiatives.