NEW Directions, Wales’ largest education recruitment and training providers of supply and permanent staff throughout the sector, is headline sponsor of the South Wales Schools and Education Awards 2023.

Gary Williams, New Directions chief commercial officer said the business, with almost 30 years’ experience in recruitment, is proud to be this year's headline sponsors.

Gary said: "New Directions was keen to be headline sponsors of the prestigious South Wales Schools and Education Awards.

"We thought this was the perfect opportunity to show our support for the unsung heroes of the classroom - those who work in education and play such an important part in shaping the minds, thoughts and experiences of our future generations and are a vital part of our community.

"When we saw the range of awards on offer where as well as individuals being recognised, there are awards for classrooms and schools, we simply couldn’t choose just one award to sponsor so are proud to be the headline sponsor for the overall awards."

He said: "Being an established partner and fundamental supplier to Wales’ education sector, we work closely with primary and secondary schools on a daily basis.

"An event such as these awards brings all those noteworthy schools who deserve acknowledgement for their hard work, efforts and dedication together in one place where the spotlight is on them, and rightly so.

"We felt it was important to support these awards to demonstrate our appreciation for these individuals and establishments and celebrate their dedication and the service they provide to the Welsh Education sector each day."

New Directions, which also specialises in pharmaceutical and social care recruitment, is also active in general commercial recruitment spanning executive, office and business support roles, engineering, technical and industrial vacancies.

Gary said: "New Directions is approaching our 30th anniversary after starting out in 1994 as a general recruitment agency.

"Some five years after being established, the agency branched out into education recruitment and is now the oldest teaching agency in Wales.

"It has several branches across the country with more than 2,000 people out working in the sector at any one time in teaching and ancillary roles with just over 10 per cent of them working in schools in the Gwent area."

Gary revealed the business is on the cusp of announcing expansion plans which will see it extend its services further into England, focusing on the North West region.

He said: "As well as adding specialist sectors pharmacy and social care recruitment to its portfolio, New Directions’ most recent success, as of late last year, includes breaking into the manufacturing and production, engineering and technical, office and business support sectors - effectively returning to our roots."

Gary said: "Community is one of our company values and part of our ethos.

"We believe in giving back to the community in a variety of ways and with more than 10 per cent of our workforce placed in schools across Gwent, these awards gave us an opportunity to do just that.

"It’s an event dedicated to the very best in our community where they will be recognised and rewarded for all that they bring to developing the minds, behaviours, attitudes and skills of their learners.

"These awards also provide a much-needed boost for our schools which continue to navigate changing curriculum, challenging exam periods and the continued aftermath of Covid.

"The awards provide an opportunity to recognise those who have gone above and beyond in the local community, showing true resilience as they navigate a new ‘normal’ in the world of education.

"We hope that by sponsoring these awards, it demonstrates our appreciation for the sector as a whole and the variety of people that it takes to make it work.

Gary said: "I’ve always worked in education in some format my whole working career. One of my notable highlights was opening the first teaching agency in Wales. I joined New Directions 25 years ago as managing director of our education division and am now chief commercial officer, overseeing all commercial activity for the company.

"I’ve served on several education boards and School and Further Education committees for 12 years including the Mid Glamorgan Education Business Partnership, where I worked to bring education and businesses together within the region.

"Outside of work, I’ve been a school governor for 17 years and enjoyed acting in an advisory role, using my knowledge of the sector from my previous and current roles."

Categories for the South Wales Schools and Education Awards are:

  • School of the Year;
  • Above and Beyond Award;
  • Private or Independent School of the Year;
  • Teaching Assistant of the Year;
  • Class of the Year;
  • College or University of the Year;
  • Early Years Education Award;
  • Lifetime Achievement Award;
  • Head Teacher of the Year;
  • Primary Teacher of the Year;
  • Secondary Teacher of the Year;
  • Support Worker of the Year;
  • Secondary School of the Year;
  • Primary School of the Year.