Staff Profile

Judith James has had extensive experience in developing student entrepreneurship and employability ,student experience, equality and diversity, widening participation from under-represented groups, finance and external funding. Her recent roles focused on the change management of university functions, first as manager of the Swansea Employability Academy, as Programme Manager Student Experience and finally before retirement as Programme Manager Strategic Regional Engagement. Her previous role as the Deputy Head of Department of Adult Continuing Education at Swansea University gave her wide experience in widening participation in higher education, including accessing external funding, within a financial and staff management role.

Judith has been a member of the UNESCO Expert Group on Developing Learning Cities and has contributed to the development of the UNESCO Global Platform for Learning Cities (GPLC). She presented 'Swansea Learning City' at the International Conference on Learning Cities in Beijing with 570 delegates from over 100 countries (October 2013) One of the outcomes of the Learning Cities Declaration from this conference was a proposal to establish a UNESCO Global Learning Cities Network. One of her major achievements was gaining the UNESCO Learning City Award for Swansea. She brought the UNESCO Learning City Pilot to Swansea, now a member of UNESCO’s Global Network of Learning Cities. She wrote the ‘Swansea Case Study’ in UNESCO’s ‘Unlocking the Potential of Urban Communities: Case Studies of Twelve Learning Cities’, which led to Swansea gaining the award in 2015. Swansea was the first UNESCO Learning City in the UK, one of only three in Europe and only twelve worldwide at that time. She co-edited “Entrepreneurial Learning City Regions” with Raul Valdes-Cotera, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning and continues to write Swansea’s ongoing GNLC submissions and represent Swansea at international conferences.  

She improved employability for Swansea graduates when she established the Swansea Employability Academy, writing and implementing a new University-wide strategy for employability, entrepreneurship and employee learning. Swansea University’s graduate-level jobs recorded in the Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education (DLHE) improved from 54% to 76% in two years. SEA is still active and the improvement has been sustainable, with Swansea coming 5th for Career Prospects in the Guardian University Guide 2020. She led the student experience team (2013-2015) to undertake strategic change projects which enhanced the student experience. In 2015 Swansea University overall made the UK Top 10 for student satisfaction (NSS 2015) ranking 8th, the highest-ranking university in Wales, which showed that 91% of Swansea students were satisfied with their course overall. She introduced Foundation Degrees and Work based Learning to Swansea University as a new initiative when I was a Member of the Pan-Wales Steering Group. The development of Foundation Degrees has positioned the university favourably to develop Degree Apprenticeships.  She has a strong track record in accessing external funding, having brought in over £32M to support innovative learning and skills development at the Swansea University and she continues to respond to funding opportunities in her Glasgow honorary role. 

She has extensive international relationships, having strong links in China, South Korea, Mexico, Tanzania, Thailand, Colombia, Saudi Arabia and many European countries, chairing international meetings, leading international partnerships and giving presentations at conferences. 

 

Selected Publications: 

James, J. Preece, J. and Valdés-Cotera, R. (Eds.) (2017) Entrepreneurial Learning City Regions. Springer Nature. https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319611297

James, J. Preece, J. & Sivers, C. (2015) Swansea Learning City in ‘Unlocking the Potential of Urban Communities: Case Studies of Twelve Learning Cities’ Eds. R.Valdes-Cotera, N.Longworth, K.Lunardon, M.Wang, S.Jo and S.Crowe. UNESCO, Hamburg.

James, J. & Ahmed, J. (2014) Report: Barriers faced by SMEs in accessing staff training. Report commissioned by the Centre for Enterprise, Leeds.  Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership.

James, J., Williams, M., Essenhigh, A. and James, P.D. (2009) ‘Towards Measures of Equality’ Report and table commissioned by the UK Government Equalities Office: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100212235759/http://www.equalities.gov.uk/research,_facts_and_figures/research/towards_measures_of_equality.aspx  [Accessed 10-08-2020]

James, J. (2009) ‘A Yorkshire Forward supported project aimed at increasing ethnic diversity in recruitment to the BT Openreach Apprenticeship Scheme in Bradford.’ Report commissioned by the National Centre for Diversity, Leeds.

James, J and Preece, J., (2005) ‘Training Community Tutors.’ Conference presentation and paper: Slovenian Institute for Adult Education 8th Adult Education Colloquium 2004 Education and Training of Teachers in Adult Education Pp 53-62

James, J and Preece, J., (2003) ‘Equalities and Equal Opportunities Training in Relation to Employment in Wales in 2003’ Commissioned and published by Welsh Development Agency.

James, J. Preece, J. & Williams, M., (2003) ‘Equality Kite Marks in Wales and the UK: Report of Baseline Research. Commissioned and published by Welsh Development Agency. 

James, J; Preece, J, (2002) ‘Was I.T. good for you? Women returners and the immediate and delayed impact of ICT training on their return to work or education.’ 15p.p. Paper presented at the European Conference on Educational Research, University of Lisbon, 11-14 September 2002. http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/00002548.htm. [Accessed 11/07/2017]

James, J & Preece, J., (2002) ‘Was IT good for you? The perceived attraction of ICT for adults returning to education.’ Chapter 11 p.p. 114-126 in ‘Attracting and Retaining Learners: Policy and Practice Perspectives.’ Eds. Saunders, D., Payne, R., Mason, A., Storan, J. Pub. Forum for the Advancement of Continuing Education, (FACE) 2002. ISBN 1-840540-86-9

James, J. Preece, J. & Williams, M., (2001) 'Internet use by women participating in NOW projects to research cultural or regional variations in women's employment opportunities’ (abstract also translated into French and German) In Frindte, W. Kohler, T. Marquet, P. Nissen, E., (Eds) Internet-based Teaching and Learning. (IN-TELE) 99 Frankfurt am Main: Lang, pp 259-264.

James, J. Preece, J & Williams, M., (2000) 'NO LIMIT' (New Opportunities for Linguists in Management and Information Technology): A University-based Continuing Education Project'. Paper presented at the UACE conference, Royal Holloway College, University of London, April 2000.

James, J. (2000) ‘SARN HELEN, A Summative Evaluation Report of a NOW project: New Opportunities for Women in Community-based Adult Education: Dove Workshop. 

Davies, D. Howells, D. James, J. John, R. Kop, R. and Salomon, N. (1999) 'The potential of using the Internet in a NOW project focusing on linguists.' In P. Marquet, S. Mathey, A. Jaillet & E. Nissen (Eds) Internet -based Teaching and Learning (IN_TELE) 98 Frankfurt am Main: Lang, pp 65 – 68

James, J and Pester, S.  (1998) 'A collaborative journey from a Community University of the Valleys to the Community University of Wales/Europe' in 'ad-lib' Journal for Continuing Liberal Adult Education, University of Cambridge Board of Continuing Education. Issue 10, pp 9-11.