David Craggs CBE

Deputy Chairman, WorldSkills UK

As Deputy Chairman of WorldSkills UK, David Cragg has spearheaded a national campaign to raise the public profile and recognition of vocational skills and careers. Its centrepiece is The Skills Show, which he founded in 2012,  pioneering a radical new experiential approach to careers education.

 
David began work as an FE language teacher and enjoyed a successful, lifetime career in vocational education and training, and in some of the most demanding national and regional leadership roles. 

Under the Government’s reform programme, David managed the overall transition of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), where he was Regional Director for the West Midlands,  to the newly created Skills Funding Agency, fulfilling the role of Interim Chief Executive Officer. He subsequently  served on the Management Board of the Agency  as National Development Director, with a responsibility for policy implementation, until his retirement in 2011.  

Prior to his role in the LSC, David worked for ten years as the Chief Executive of the Birmingham and Solihull Training and Enterprise Council, where he led notable education and industry partnerships, establishing the first Business Link nationally and an industry-wide automotive supply chain development programme. He also played a pivotal role in both the Rover crises. With the collapse of the company in 2005, he led the retraining programme for former employees, ensuring the overwhelming majority secured new employment. 

David has been officially honoured three times for his work; in 2012, David was awarded a CBE in recognition of his services to education and skills; this followed an MBE in 2000 for services to vocational training and an OBE in 2008, for services to learning and skills. David holds an Honorary Doctorate from Birmingham City University and, most recently, was awarded a Fellowship of the City & Guilds of London Institute for his outstanding contribution to vocational skills and education.