James Llewellyn
Director of Worldwide Operations
James is the Director of Worldwide Operations, where he oversees the strategic leadership and line management of the College’s International department and its portfolio.
With nearly two decades at NPTC Group of Colleges, James has held various positions such as Head and Deputy Head of School, Principal Lecturer, Instructor, Technician, and even Apprentice. This breadth of experience has resulted in a profound comprehension of the Further and Higher Education sector, with a strong focus on Skills development and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
James is a proud alumnus of the University of Glamorgan, where he graduated in Mechanical Engineering. His journey also includes the completion of an Advanced Modern Apprenticeship in Manufacturing and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of South Wales.
Furthermore, James is a fluent Welsh language speaker, a Director at LSI/IH Portsmouth (Language Specialist International) and has affiliations with the Institution of Engineering and Technology, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Chartered Management Institute, and the Institute of Directors.
Connect James on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesllewellyn17/
E-mail: james.llewellyn@nptcgroup.ac.uk
Lisa Duffy
Senior Lecturer: International Operations
Lisa is a former member of the Royal Navy where she was part of the Sonar Department, brings extensive experience from her global travels and work with renowned organisations like the Marines, RAF, Army, House of Commons, Foreign Diplomats, and the British Embassy.
In her role, Lisa will elevate the standards of teaching, learning, and assessment across our international programs. She’ll lead and coordinate curriculum components, ensuring excellence and consistency across varied educational contexts. Lisa will continue to drive our programs beyond expectations, creating an enriching learning environment for our diverse students and clients worldwide.
Lisa joined NPTC Group of Colleges in 2018, lecturing in the Sport and Public Services department. She has educated a wide range of students on vocational and higher education courses, covering critical subjects such as Sociological Issues, Psychology, Crime Reduction, and Reflective Practice and our International Teacher Training Pedagogical training.
Lisa is currently completing her Master’s in Education with a focus on hybrid teaching strategies and International development. Not only dedicated to her profession, Lisa is also a passionate hockey player and has represented the Royal Navy Command Hockey team, and leads the Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE) for the group.
Connect Lisa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-duffy-103ab578/
E-mail: lisa.duffy@nptcgroup.ac.uk
Petra Williams
Senior Officer: International Partnerships & Engagement
Petra is a former international basketball player whose sporting career took her around the globe. With a passion for health and well-being, she went on to study health improvement management, specialising in lifestyle counselling. Over the past 13 years, Petra has dedicated herself to education, working with students from a variety of backgrounds in both Further and Higher Education.
In her previous role at a secondary school in England, Petra played a key role in supporting a large cohort of international students, helping them integrate into British society and improve their English language skills. Since moving to Wales in 2019, she has continued her work with diverse student groups as part of the Student Support team, developing a deep understanding of how best to support students in achieving their academic goals.
Most recently, Petra served as Senior Officer for Student Experience within the Higher Education team, where she successfully led significant events, including last year’s prestigious Graduation ceremony, as well as many successful initiatives across campuses supported by the Reaching Wider Partnership.
E-mail: petra.williams@nptcgroup.ac.uk
Angela Gill
Senior Officer International Operations
Angela’s role focuses on the relationships and collaborations of the Worldwide Partnerships and Colleges, working closely with the Head of International Operations and the Assistant Principal for Worldwide Operations.
She is responsible for the Workstations programme which involves 20-30 Chinese Teachers coming to NPTC Group of Colleges for 14 weeks to take part in the PGCE programme; shadowing NPTC Group of Colleges lecturers and observing the westernised mythology of teaching practice.
She is responsible for the coordination of the programmes we offer Internationally and within the UK for International students including arranging VISA’s, travel and delegations.
Joining the International team, she has experienced a variety of wonderful opportunities to work closely with colleagues, teachers and students across the world.
Angela joined NPTC Group of Colleges in 2019. She comes from a finance background, working in a major bank where her roles included Mortgage Manager and Relationship Manager before moving on to the Higher Education sector within the Procurement team.
E-mail: angela.gill@nptcgroup.ac.uk
Gagan Aggarwal
India and Middle East Associate
Gagan’s role predominantly focuses on providing NPTC Group of Colleges with high-quality skill-based opportunities across all subject areas. Additionally, he works closely with international clients and governments to establish new services for the group.
He has 20+ years of experience, leveraging his expertise within the Indian ecosystem, facilitated market entry in India with expertise spanning requirement scoping, strategic planning, branding/marketing, and business development.
Gagan is skilled in evaluating strategic fit of potential opportunities, consulting on new products/services for NPTC Group of Colleges. He is a powerful networker with an intricate understanding of key business drivers, know-how in formulating customised strategies, and the ability to execute with discipline & effectiveness.
As a result of his efforts, NPTC Group of Colleges has established cross-border collaborations with key Indian institutions and Government agencies.
Connect with Gagan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaganaggarwal/
E-mail: Gagan.aggarwal@nptcgroup.ac.uk
Steve Rhodes
Special Advisor to the Principal
Steve holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) Degree in Graphic Design and a Master of Education Degree
His career began working as a Graphic Designer before entering the vocational education sector as a Lecturer of Graphic Design, progressing through the academic ranks before being appointed as the Assistant Principal of Worldwide Operations at NPTC Group of Colleges.
He regularly spends time overseas which he describes as a privilege and honour – going on to say that the more he travels and the more he meets people from different cultures and backgrounds, he recognises that we are all connected far more by the things that we have in common compared to our differences.
Steve has led large scale projects in China since 2005, working predominantly with the vocational education sector is China and is now one of the UK’s most experienced Further Education TVET (Technical, Vocational Education and Training) specialists. His skills, experience and profile have been recognised through his appointment of the Co-Chair of the China UK Vocational Education Cooperation and Development Committee.
E-mail: steve.rhodes@nptcgroup.ac.uk
