Webinar Facilitators





Mike Cox, Webinar Chair

Operations Director, Association of Employment and Learning Providers  

After 13 years in retail purchasing and supply, Mike became an assessor for apprenticeships with TBG Learning in 1999. He soon moved onto various development roles with learndirect, RNID and then LSN where he headed up the bidding and development team, helping design support programmes and research in areas including Train to Gain, Citizenship, Diplomas, Key Skills, Functional Skills and Foundation Learning. He joined AELP in February 2013.

Mike is married with 2 children and lives in rural Kent.




Sarah Stear

Head of Apprenticeship Policy Implementation, Skills Funding Agency

Sarah Stear is responsible for implementing apprenticeship-funding policies into the SFA, this includes developing the funding rules and the associated compliance strategy.




Nick Ayton

Head of Funding Data and Calculations, Skills Funding Agency

Nick Ayton leads on the technical delivery of funding systems for the SFA and is responsible for generating funding values (rates / bands), delivering technical funding calculations and monitoring value for money in the funding system.