Lee Probert

Director of Equality and Diversity, Learning and Skills Council

The Learning and Skills Council exists to make England better skilled and more competitive. We have a single goal: to improve the skills of England's young people and adults to make sure we have a workforce that is of world-class standards.

The Learning and Skills Council is responsible for planning and funding high-quality vocational education and training for everyone. Our vision is that by 2010, young people and adults in England have the knowledge and skills matching the best in the world and are part of a fiercely competitive workforce.

Lee Probert is currently the Learning and Skills Council’s Director of Equality and Diversity, within the National Office, Coventry. Lee is responsible for the development and management of the Council’s National Equality and Diversity Strategy and is currently leading a review of the success of this strategy, in preparation for the Council’s drive to develop a single equality scheme.

Lee is spearheading the work on the single equality scheme within the LSC and hopes that this strategic framework for delivering outcomes for equality, whist complying with legislative requirements with afford the FE system a real opportunity to deliver sustainable change in the equalities area.

As part of Lee’s core work is involved in working with the Department for Education and Skills to make sure that the impact of policies affecting learning is truly assessed. Also, for making sure that outcomes in respect of equality and diversity are properly measured and reported. This includes working on equality impact assessments for the recent Further Education White Paper, the National Skills Strategy and 14-19 Reform.

Lee trained as an Early Years Teacher and worked for a time as a reception teacher before joining the Learning and Skills Council in Worcester as their Equality and Diversity Adviser. Lee believes that training and development are key to achieving success in equality and diversity and is delighted to be able to work with the LSC to develop approaches that enable us to ensure that this is for everyone.

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