Gateshead College Ceo Receives Cbe In Queen's New Year Honours Lis

A North East business leader and nationally recognised champion of the further education sector has been awarded a CBE in the Queen's New Year 2018 Honours list

Judith Doyle, who became the first female principal and CEO of Gateshead College in 2013, has received the CBE for her outstanding contribution to education and skills in the North East.

She has committed more than 25 years of her life to the further education (FE) sector in Gateshead, where she has been devoted to improving the social and economic wellbeing of the community. Her inspiring leadership, focus on technical skills and impact on the successful performance of the college has been recognised by Ofsted while her personal achievements were recognised by her peers when she was named FE Leader of the Year 2016 in the Times Education Awards.

Under her leadership, staff have focused on one core vision – making students the most highly prized in the jobs market – have driven up standards and forged strong partnerships with industry. This has resulted in the college being awarded Grade 1 Outstanding by Ofsted with the best student achievement rates in the region and securing a

position as one of the top-performing colleges in England.

Not only an advocate of the role Gateshead College plays in developing a more prosperous North East by ensuring people have the technical skills to succeed, Judith is also an active ambassador for the region. Outside the college, she is recognised for influencing and shaping the regional and national skills agenda with seats on several boards and advisory panels.

On receiving news of her CBE, Judith said: “To be acknowledged in this way is a truly humbling experience and I am both delighted and feel extremely honoured; it means so much not only to me but also my daughter Christine and the rest of my family; they are absolutely elated and I simply couldn’t do the job I do without their support.

“I am known to be someone who loves the North East and everything it stands for and proudly champion our region everywhere I go. I am passionately committed to doing what I can to support our great region and to be recognised for the difference I have been able to make is wonderful.

“Whilst this is a personal recognition, it very much reflects the work of my brilliant team at the college, all the incredible people I have worked with throughout my career and all the people who have supported me to achieve the very best for Gateshead College.”

Robin Mackie, chair of the board at Gateshead College, said: “On behalf of the board and all of the team at Gateshead College I want to congratulate Judith and say how thrilled we are to see her commitment, hard work and incredible achievements recognised with this national honour; it is richly deserved. She has dedicated her working life to education and has worked tirelessly to ensure that our college is performing at the highest level, serving the needs of people and businesses across the region and sharing her expertise nationwide to strengthen support for further education. She is a fantastic ambassador for the region and the further education sector and we are all very proud.”