Supporting the network
The East Midlands Apprenticeship Ambassador Network is powered by people.
From apprentice ambassadors sharing their lived experience, to employers supporting and championing apprenticeships, EMAAN is built on collaboration, passion and a shared belief in the value of apprenticeships.
This page introduces the team and ambassadors who help shape the network, support activity across the region and ensure apprentice voices are heard.
Meet the Team
The EMAAN Executive team provides leadership, coordination and support for the network. Together, they help guide activity, support ambassadors and ensure EMAAN remains Apprentice led, inclusive and impactful.
Employer Chair - Charlotte Baker
The Employer Chair provides strategic leadership from an employer perspective. They help shape the direction of the network, represent employer interests, and support strong relationships between employers, apprentices and education.
My career journey is not a traditional one. I left school at 17, started out in the Civil Service, and later balanced early parenthood with roles as a nursery nurse and teaching assistant. With the encouragement of a manager who recognised my potential, I moved into HR, gaining my CIPD qualifications while working, and have since progressed to become Head of HR for the UK & Ireland at Mediq Healthcare UK.
This lived experience gives me a strong belief that talent doesn’t follow a single path. I am passionate about apprenticeships as a powerful route to open doors, build confidence and create real career opportunities.
Apprenticeships changed how I see potential. My own career didn’t follow a straight line, and that’s why I’m so passionate about creating opportunities for others. Apprenticeships open doors, build confidence, and give people a real chance to succeed - regardless of where they start.
Apprentice Chair - Charlie Gresswell
The Apprentice Chair provides strategic leadership from an Apprentice perspective. They represent the voice of apprentices across the network. They ensure apprentice perspectives are central to decision-making and support the development and confidence of ambassadors.
I completed a level 6 (degree) food technical apprenticeship in 2021, and have been part of the network for many years.
As someone who knew conventional full time university wasn't for me, I found the apprenticeship route to be a great alternative to allow me to continue further education.
I am passionate about sharing the benefits of apprenticeships and what my apprenticeship did for the start of my career. Being an ambassador and progressing into leadership has been so rewarding and I am lucky to have met some amazing apprentices who have helped shape the network into what it is today.
Apprentice Vice Chair - Iqra Jaffary
The Apprentice Vice Chair supports the Apprentice Chair and helps coordinate apprentice engagement across the network. They play a key role in supporting ambassador activity and ensuring apprentice voices are heard and valued.
I’m Iqra Jaffary - a paralegal and current Level 7 Solicitor Apprentice at Broxtowe Borough Council. Outside of my day job and current apprenticeship, I’m also an ambassador champion for East Midlands Apprenticeship Ambassador Network.
Within the network I attend school and careers fairs as a volunteer.
I also lead on our I.D.E.A (Inclusivity, Diversity, Equality and Accessibility) subgroup where we work on spreading apprenticeship awareness in underrepresented communities.
Meet the Ambassador Leadership Team
The EMAAN ambassadors Leadership team support the running and organisation of the network with guidance from the EMAAN executive team.
Apprentice Champion - Coming Soon
The Apprentice Champions supports ambassadors across the region through check ins, social events and ad-hoc projects. They look after specific areas of the region, to give more local connections.
These are new roles and still being developed but will be launched soon.
SME Lead - Claire Indans
The SME Lead represents the needs and perspectives of small and medium-sized employers. They help ensure EMAAN activity is practical, relevant and accessible for employers of all sizes and helps facilitate our SME buddying processes.
Dr. Claire Indans is the Associate Director of Education at Deere Apprenticeships Ltd. Claire has worked within the education sector for 27 years and in this time, she worked in a variety of teaching and Management roles.
Claire is an Ambassador for EMAAN supporting SMEs. This role involves raising awareness about apprenticeships, informing SMEs about apprenticeship options and identifying where apprentices can progressively enhance business.
Claire achieved Doctor of Education in 2017, having previously gained a Masters Degree in Research, Education and Social Science (MRES) and a Masters Degree in Coaching & Mentoring.
Marketing Advisor - Position vacant
The Marketing Advisor supports EMAAN’s communications, visibility and storytelling.
They help amplify ambassador voices, promote activity and ensure messaging is clear, engaging and authentic.
This position is currently vacant, if you would like to be considered for this role please drop us a message.
Meet Our Ambassadors
Below you will find details of a number of our Employer and Apprentice Ambassadors, who dedicate their time to raising awareness of Apprenticeships across the region.
Olivia Scane
Apprentice Ambassador
Former Apprentice Vice Chair
I began my career as a Level 3 HR Support Apprentice at HM Land Registry. I then joined the East Midlands Ambassador Network and became Vice-Chair of the network in 2023.
Since then, I’ve progressed from HR Support Desk Adviser to Senior Recruitment Adviser and I’m currently completing my Level 5 People Professional Apprenticeship.
Outside of work, I continue championing apprenticeships and early careers by documenting my personal journey on Instagram and TikTok @_myhrcareer.
Charlotte Nicholls
Apprentice Ambassador
Former Employer Chair
I started out as a L3 HR apprentice back in 2019, joined EMAAN in 2020 and became the Apprentice chair in 2021. I gained a couple of promotions at my workplace, including ownership of The Council's apprenticeship programme.
From there, I stepped down as apprentice chair and continued to be involved in the network as an employer ambassador. In 2023 I became the Employer Chair.
I am a big advocate for apprenticeships and the impact they can have in a business. As of 2025 I have started my second apprenticeship in HR, this time at level 5 and won the Worshipful Company of HR Professionals Apprentice of the Year Award 2026.
University of Derby
Employer Ambassador
University of Derby are a Higher Education Institution that also encompasses an FE college.
Based in Derby and throughout Derbyshire we offer programmes from pre Level one all the way through to Level 8. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region, using our industry expertise to ask the right questions, find answers, and influence public policy, innovation and growth.
University of Derby offers a wide range of education opportunities not just for those in Derbyshire but nationally and internationally. Ranging from Apprenticeships and FE level study programmes and T-Levels to under and post graduate routes our offering covers a vast array of sectors from policing to catering, Engineering to Beauty, Nuclear to Nursing, and lots more
Specsavers
Employer Ambassador
Specsavers is a global optical and audiology business, operating across 11 countries with more than 2,500 locally owned businesses worldwide.
Founded in the UK, Specsavers operates through a distinctive Joint Venture Partnership model, enabling partners to own and run their own businesses while being supported by strong central infrastructure, shared expertise, and a commitment to clinical excellence, customer care, and people development.
At Specsavers, our purpose is to change lives through better sight and hearing. We deliver accessible, high‑quality optical and audiology services through a network of locally owned businesses, supported by trusted clinical experts who care about the communities they serve.
The types of apprenticeships we offer
Specsavers are an Employer Provider designing and delivering high‑quality apprenticeship programmes that are closely aligned to business need and learner progression.
The Apprenticeships we offer are:
-
Optical Assistant – Level 3
-
Spectacle Technician – Level 3
-
Customer Service Practitioner – Level 2
Alongside these programmes, we offer clear and structured progression pathways into clinical optical and audiology careers, as well as opportunities to move into leadership, management, and specialist roles. We also partner with high‑quality external training providers to deliver apprenticeships and development programmes across our support office functions, ensuring apprenticeship opportunities are accessible throughout the organisation, not just in customer‑facing roles
Dena Wyatt
Employer Ambassador
As Head of Apprenticeships, I lead the strategic direction of apprenticeships at Specsavers Joint Venture Partnership, working with a fantastic team of experts who design and deliver high‑quality programmes that support career growth and business performance. My role is all about making sure the wider business understands the real value apprenticeships bring, from developing future talent to driving long‑term success.
Over the past three years, we’ve proudly ranked in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers, which speaks volumes about the impact and quality of our work. We were also winners of the Large Employer category at the National Apprenticeship and Skills Awards, a huge milestone that reflects the strength, reach, and influence of our apprenticeship strategy. Adding to this success, our own apprentice won Advanced Apprentice of the Year,
showcasing the incredible talent we have joining the business through apprenticeships.
I also had the privilege of leading the team through an Outstanding Ofsted inspection as nominee, one of my proudest career moments.
I’m a big believer in collaboration and connection, and I take every opportunity to network with employers, training providers, and like‑minded professionals who share a passion for people development. I keep strategy and quality at the heart of everything we do, making sure our approach stays relevant, forward‑thinking, and genuinely transformational.
Nicola Scott
Apprentice Ambassador
My name is Nicola Scott, and I am currently completing my Learning and Skills Assessor (Level 3), and in the past my Coaching Professional (Level 5) apprenticeships.
My background includes working as a apprentice tutor/coach, which gives me a unique perspective on the apprenticeship journey from both the learner and educator viewpoint.
Being an ambassador is important to me because I understand apprenticeships from two perspectives, both as a tutor supporting learners and as someone who appreciates the learner journey itself. This dual insight allows me to relate to apprentices, employers, and training providers in a meaningful way. I believe apprenticeships create opportunities, build confidence, and develop real-world skills, and I am passionate about helping others recognise the positive impact they can have on careers and future success.
I enjoy encouraging others to consider apprenticeships as a valuable pathway for both personal and professional development, and I look forward to supporting EMAAN in the future.
