046 Global Upskilling: Where Do We All Fit” with James Herberson

James Herbertson

Chief People Officer of Bayswater Education

In this episode, James Herbertson is the co-founder and Chief People Officer of Bayswater Education, a social enterprise in international education that operates ten year-round colleges across the UK, France, Cyprus, Canada, and South Africa. Bayswater offers a range of micro-credentials in Digital Marketing, International Business and Customer Service. For every student Bayswater teaches, they educate another from a disadvantaged background.

With over 18 years of experience in the study abroad and education industry, James has held diverse roles, including agent, service provider, language school owner, and charity trustee. His journey began with learning Spanish at Malaca Instituto, inspiring him to found and run the language travel agency Answer English. After selling the agency, he launched London Nest in 2010, addressing the need for high-quality, affordable student accommodation in London. London Nest served many leading language schools before James sold his stake in 2018.

James has been Secretary of the Zimbabwe Rural Schools Development Programme (ZRSDP) for 23 years. The charity has raised over £500,000 since 2001, funding the construction of an AIDS education centre, classroom blocks, teacher accommodation, and boreholes in eight rural Zimbabwean schools. In 2011, James formed a relay team that swam the English Channel, raising more than £50,000.

In addition to his role at Bayswater Education, James serves as Vice Chair on the Board of Trustees for English UK, the national association of English language centres. He served for 6 years on the board of the British Educational Travel Association (BETA). James also organised a Guinness World Record-breaking event for the largest number of nationalities in a language lesson.

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