Clare Vertigen, Managing Director
Clare Vertigen has been Managing Director of the South West Apprenticeship Company (SWAC) for 12 years and has a background in supporting employers to grow their business with new skills by matching their needs to education and training. She is also a Director of the Western Training Provider Network (WTPN) and Chair of the Forest of Dean Economic Partnership’s Education and Skills Group. SWAC is a specialist Apprenticeship Recruitment and Employment Agency based in Gloucester, but employs apprentices and supports businesses across the whole of the South West (and further afield).
Clare is an experienced business and operations manager at director level with over 25 years track record within the education and skills market place, having supported or directly managed over £12 million of skills and Apprenticeship programmes. In her previous role as Operations Director she managed ESF funded Projects including the Diversity in Apprenticeship Programme where she set-up a mentoring programme to support LLDD apprentices. Drawing on this experience she was part of the initial team that planned and created the South West Apprenticeship Company (SWAC); she understood the need for all apprentices to have mentoring support and that most SMEs were new to Apprenticeships and would need extra support to set-up their Apprenticeship Programme. For Clare coaching and mentoring is key to supporting and inspiring the next generation of managers and leaders.
Since becoming SWAC Managing Director in 2012 she has worked hard to transform SWAC into more than just an ‘Apprenticeship Training Agency’. She constantly looks at ways to improve the Apprenticeship experience for both apprentice and the business through dedicated support, guidance and acting as an impartial mediator between all parties involved; apprentice, host and training provider.
In 2019 Clare’s hard work was recognised with Outstanding Contribution to Apprenticeship Awards in Gloucestershire, Bath and Bristol and SWAC was recognised as Apprentice Employer of the Year.
