KentChoices

Rob has extensive experience in skills and employability services, having worked in this sector for over 30 years.

Rob started as a careers adviser working in local authority schools, then moved to the world of Education Business Partnerships. Here he set up the City Of Westminster work experience programme, then a business mentoring service, that operated in schools across seven inner London boroughs.

Rob moved to Kent in 2006 to set up the KentChoices website that quickly became an integral part of the post 16 transition process, it is still used by over 13,000 young people every year.

Working closely with education, training, third sector and local authority services he led Kent’s strategy to Raising the Participation Age for young people.

He is now the Lead for The Education People’s Skills and Employability Service that provides the local authority’s NEET strategy, NEET Support Service, NEET prevention, the statutory duty to track the destinations of young people, the KentChoices website and Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) support for schools through a partnership with the Careers Enterprise Company.

Rob focuses on building partnerships, analytical planning and challenging existing thinking to look for new ways to deliver high quality services.

Owen has 10 years’ experience in the Skills & Employability team in various roles, starting his journey as an apprentice.

In his current role, Owen oversees the work of the KentChoices Development Manager and a team of Engagement Officers. He also chairs 'Participation Meetings' which are attended by secondary schools, colleges, training providers and other services attend.

Owen enjoys his role because he gets to work with a great team who strive hard every single day to help achieve great outcomes for young people. This motivates him to do the same and while there are constant barriers to overcome, Owen enjoys being in a role where he can help make changes to overcome these barriers.

Jackie joined the Young Person’s Participation team back in 2015 and has been with the Skills & Employability team ever since.

She thoroughly enjoyed this role - particularly speaking to parents and young people finding out what career choices they made after leaving school and helping clients that needed that little bit of advice or guidance.

Careers have changed, young people and parents need access to information on all the options and an application process that is clear and simple to use. Jackie is proud to now be the KentChoices Development Manager and believe that our website achieves this along with supporting schools and colleges in Kent.

Jackie relishes being part of a team of professionals that really want to make a difference for young people and has even been inspired to continue with her own education; recently completing an apprenticeship as a Career Development Professional.

Alice has worked win the education sector for almost 20 years. She is passionate about young people being given the right information to be able to make the right decisions to pursue their goals in life.

Alice's career in education began in 2004 when she started working at a secondary school in Tonbridge as the School/Student Administrator, before being promoted to the Administration Manager and later as the part time School Librarian. Looking for a new challenge within the education sector, Alice started working full time as part of the KentChoices team in November 2022.

Alice has always enjoyed helping and supporting people and working on the front line at KentChoices enables her to continue to engage with young people, parents and school staff by supporting and advising them with their post-16 applications.