Kirsty Evans has been appointed as the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s new acting director of further education.
She takes over the role from Peter Mucklow, who became the agency’s director of apprenticeships last month when Keith Smith left to join the Department for Education as its director of post-16 strategy.
As director of further education, Evans (pictured) will be responsible for oversight of FE providers and colleges, including implementing early and formal intervention strategies to “prevent or remedy institutions’ poor performance in finance, quality or governance”.
She will also be in charge of funding and performance management of sixth forms, colleges and training providers for 16 to 19 year olds, the adult education budget, non-levy apprenticeships and the European Social Fund.
Eileen Milner, ESFA chief executive said today: “Kirsty Evans, currently deputy director in the funding directorate and is responsible for the implementations and delivery of our funding systems, will become acting director of further education, taking over from Peter.
“Kirsty has 25 years’ experience working in the education and skills system. Previously she was responsible for ESFA’s adult funding operations, and most recently led the co-ordination of ESFA’s response to Covid-19.”
Evans has been the ESFA’s associate director for adult funding operations since April 2018, leading on the implementation of adult education budget and loans facility funding policy.
Prior to that, she worked as deputy director of funding policy implementation for the then Skills Funding Agency, having previously held roles as director of area relationships, and regional skills director.
Before joining the civil service, Evans worked for Oldham Chamber and Merseyside Training and Enterprise Council.
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