senior team
The SPS Training Senior Team is made up of skilled industry professionals who have many years of experience of working within Further Education and in industry. The team are passionate about transforming lives through education and training. Meet our team below:
Mehul Shah
Director
Mehul Shah has worked in the education sector for 18 years. Firstly, as a private training franchise owner and then into a predominantly funded regional organisation with a team of almost 30 staff. He is passionate about helping communities to improve prospects through skills and employment. He has led and successfully delivered on various projects over the years and has significant experience in the delivery of funded training programmes including work with the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and the European Social Fund (ESF).
Ben Wyse
Funding Director
Ben Wyse joined the SPS Senior Team in 2017. Ben has worked in the education sector for over 24 years. Firstly, as a Data Manager at the Hertfordshire Learning and Skills Council and then as a European Social Fund Project Manager and Head of Management Information Services at Hertford Regional College. Ben joined SPS Training Solutions Limited as their funding director and is working to deliver our own ‘plan for jobs’, helping residents of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire prepare for and find work.
Jo Giles
Business Development Manager
Over 25 years in Strategy, development, operations and leadership within employability and training sectors, Jo has led highly successful operations teams within the Welfare-to-work sector and independent training companies. Jo operates on the basis that every organisation whatever the size, has a wealth of ideas, skills, experience and motivation. Jo has been active in senior leadership roles across Employability and Skills which has included being the lead for Ofsted, ESF, PAT and Matrix inspections Jo joined SPS in March 2024 and has been working to mobilise new courses and establishing strong partnerships with external stakeholders
Katherine Baker
Quality Manager and Safeguarding Lead
Katherine has over 20 years quality management experience in the Adult Education Sector. Katherine joined SPS in 2015 and a key focus of her role is to support the Leadership Team in the development and management of the company’s quality performance and monitoring processes. Katherine also has responsibility for managing Safeguarding procedures and ensuring that our staff and learners are safe, secure and supported.
Martin Guy
IAG Manager
Martin Guy joined the SPS senior management team in 2021 and has worked in the education sector for 11 years. After joining SPS in 2014 as an Information, Advice & Guidance (IAG) Advisor he then combined this with managing our Hertford & Hatfield training centres, successfully driving improvements to increase learner engagement and retention for our in-centre qualifications. Martin now oversees the IAG function across the business, collaborating with colleagues, external stakeholders and referral partners to ensure that our high standards of IAG are maintained and improved upon and that the learner is at the heart of all we do.
TRAINING team
Anoushka Thambirajah
Trainer
Anoushka Thambirajah first joined SPS as a learner and has since worked in various capacities, being instrumental in supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged groups to gain employment through skills development, including: qualifications, improved employability, motivation and confidence building. Anoushka specialises in the delivery of the Health and Social Care course though her work and academic achievements in HR, Business and the care sector ensures that she is an accomplished and recognised trainer across a range of courses provided by the company.
Chris Gibbs
Trainer
Chris came to work for SPS from being on jobseekers due to the COVID – 19 pandemic, as the Event and Hospitality industry which was massively effected. SPS gave Chris the opportunity to utilise his 20 years+ industry expertise to help learners to get their foot back through the door and back into employment looking at different alternatives which may not have been explored before, but most importantly building up confidence within. With over 20 + yrs. in the Event and Hospitality industry as a freelancer Chris’s experience spans across Venues, Events, Restaurants, Hotels and in Learning and Development. Chris enjoys meeting new people and hearing new perspectives, he loves to win, but helping the team and other students gives him a greater joy.
Julie Aston
Trainer
Julie (known to most as Julz) started with SPS in 2019, joining the business as a freelance trainer/assessor. Julz bought with her a wealth of experience in the education sector having previously worked in colleges as a lecturer and also as a curriculum manager. Julz discovered her love for helping people to develop in the early 2000's when she decided to move from running her own business in health and beauty to supporting others to learn more about the skills she had gained in this area. Julz's passion for helping people shines through in all of her courses as she likes to focus on the individuals and building them up, not just with new skills but also helping them to realise their own potential and re-gain confidence.
Megan Basnett
Trainer
Megan joined SPS in April 2021 under the Kickstart scheme. Initially working as a Learning Support Assistant, she worked her way up to passing her Assessors qualification in December of the same year, becoming a full-time trainer. Her background is originally in English Literature and Theatre Studies which contributes to Megan's passion for making the spaces she works with creative and accessible to all learners; regularly playing with her teaching style to fit a variety of learners' needs. Often working on the Customer Service, Employability and Interview Preparation courses, Megan has grown a niche interest in CV work and virtual interview training, enjoying the opportunity to develop learners towards their next steps
Nishita Shah
Trainer
I have been with SPS for nearly 5 years now and am a tutor for Functional Skills Maths & English and IT. Embedding the STRETCH values with our learners has given them an amazing opportunity to change their lives and transform their careers with these, all important qualifications. A challenging but rewarding journey which has enhanced my personal growth.
Suzy Fitt
Trainer
I have been with SPS for nearly 5 years now after my own period of unemployment. I have been excited to have delivered on a variety of courses, using my high energy positive learning environments allowing learners to progress and achieve. In my personal time, I am a very keen fitness enthusiast with a passion for running, swimming (including cold water swimming) and cycling.
Deanna Chambers
Trainer
Deanna Chambers has had an interesting journey with SPS, she first joined SPS as a learner in 2005, then in 2008 joined the team as a tutor and moved into quality assurance as the company grew. She left in 2015 to try different industries, found IT education in construction, while travelling around the UK, mainly implementing software and apps into companies. Deanna moved into business and life coaching, with a focus on helping others improve their mindfulness and personal growth. She has had roles in training on the salesforce marketing cloud system, and in 2023 returned back to SPS to continue her role as an IT trainer, covering a range of subjects, around Business Admin, Customer Service, SIA and others - with her main passion around improving confidence, self growth, healing and overcoming fear - anything mindset related to make others lives better.
Steven Fitt
Trainer
Our Trainer of the Year Steven Fitt has been empowering learners and delivering targeted training for over 20 years. Steven’s genuine passion lies in helping people unlock their potential and build the confidence to reach their goals. That dedication has made a real difference—he’s supported over 500 apprentices on their journey to gaining qualifications, always with encouragement, patience, and heart. Throughout his career, Steven has brought his expertise to some of the world’s most respected organisations, including the Financial Times, Penguin Books, and Pearson. His experience spans everything from designing and delivering learning and development programmes to leading training on major global IT rollouts. What makes Steven’s approach so special? In his own words: “If I can understand it, then I stand a good chance of making sure the learner is going to.” That learner-first mindset is just one of the many reasons why Steven continues to enjoy what he does.
