Our Lead Consultant, Jane Rexworthy, has been awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in recognition of her services to international trade of skills and education. This prestigious award highlights her impact on transforming technical vocational education and training (TVET) systems and driving equitable access to skills development across the globe.

With over 10 years dedicated to supporting the work of People 1st International, Jane has led numerous impactful projects focused on enhancing TVET systems, as well as promoting gender equality and social inclusion. Some of the most notable examples of the projects she has been involved in, supported by the team at People 1st International include:

• Understanding the challenges and labour market opportunities for Syrian refugees in Jordan and providing support to help them secure employment and integrate into the local workforce, enabling them to rebuild their lives.
• Conducting a comprehensive labour market analysis to support the creation of Panama’s new specialised technical institute, ITSE. This work included the curriculum development for 17 subjects, development of guides for instructors and students and training 47 new instructors, which have contributed to training 5,000 students annually and improving youth employability.
• Supporting industry-led approaches to skills development through the setup and enhancement of sector skills councils in countries such as Uganda, Jordan, Serbia, Pakistan, Bahrain, Jamaica, Rwanda, and Armenia, aligning skills training with industry needs and driving economic growth.

Jane has also chaired the UK Skills Partnership since 2023, leading future skills and training ambition on the global stage for UK skills sector. Under her tenure, she spearheaded the publication of The UK Education and Skills Offer uniting a cross-section of organisations to showcase how the UK can support governments around the world to enhance their education and skills systems.

Commenting on Jane’s OBE award, John Rogers, Chief Executive of The Workforce Development Trust (parent company to People 1st International) said:

“We all congratulate Jane on this well-deserved achievement. Having transitioned into a consultant role while continuing to work closely with People 1st International and exploring independent opportunities in the field of inclusion, this recognition comes at the perfect time as she embarks on her next chapter.

“Her relentless dedication and passion for driving meaningful change in education and skills development on an international scale have always been clear, and this OBE award is a fitting acknowledgment of her outstanding contributions. We look forward to seeing the continued impact she will make in the future.”