The Association of Employment and Learning Providers’ chief executive Jane Hickie has been suspended pending an investigation, FE Week understands.
[UPDATE – FE Week has since learned the AELP investigation was dropped following Hickie’s departure from the organisation.]
Hickie has worked at the membership body since 2016, initially as chief operating officer before taking over as managing director in July 2020 when former leader Mark Dawe stepped down.
She was made chief executive in January 2021.
The reasons for Hickie’s suspension are unclear at this stage. AELP chair Nichola Hay and vice chair Rob Foulston will support the organisation’s senior team for an interim period.
An AELP spokesperson said: “We understand there are rumours surrounding AELP and, for the record, we do not comment on individual employees. We also ask all our employees, members, and associates not to speculate.
“We can however provide reassurance to our members that the chair and vice chair of AELP will be supporting the senior management team on the operational leadership of the organisation for an interim period whilst our CEO, Jane Hickie, is taking a short period of absence.”
Hickie was approached for comment.
AELP represents around 800 organisations that deliver training and vocational learning. Prior to joining the membership body, Hickie was operations and corporate partnerships director for Groundwork, the national environmental charity.
She was also previously head of regeneration at Genesis Housing Group, and spent seven years at a firm called West London Leadership, recruiting corporates into a network which provided pro-bono support to hard-pressed communities.
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