NOCN Group's talented Business Development Managers, work with Colleges, training providers and employers across the UK and internationally to enable them to benefit from the future-fit skills solutions we offer. They are experts in our specialist areas where skills advancement is needed most: preparation for life & work; construction & the built environment; engineering, manufacturing & the green economy; health & social care; and education & management.

Suneal, welcome back! Tell us a bit more about your role at NOCN Group?

I re-joined the NOCN Group team in December 2024 where I resumed the role of International Business Development Manager for the second time! My appointment is not just a title, but a strategic responsibility with a multi-faceted remit to showcase the organisation's international presence and portfolio. The role is a new rodeo!

This includes supporting and cultivating long-term relationships with diverse groups of stakeholders, government agencies, employers/recruitment agencies, and training providers, as well as higher education institutions.

As part of my role, I monitor the agenda and marketplace in the international territories in which we operate including the Gulf, India and South East Asia, to understand competitor behaviour to ensure that we learn and adapt to support our customers and stay ahead of the curve as a skills solutions provider. I also review and analyse labour market trends and dynamics regarding workforce migration from, for example, the Indian sub-continent and Southeast Asia geographies into the Gulf region, identifying where there is burgeoning demand for a skilled workforce to meet capital projects.

My role also involves close collaboration with our regional senior managers for the Gulf, India/Pakistan, and South East Asia, working together to ensure that NOCN Group has a robust offer for our in-country customers, fostering a sense of unity and shared goals.
I’m responsible for supporting growth and maintaining sustainable sales pipelines from the international footprint aligned to the organisation’s purpose - future-fit skills solutions with social impact. Part of this involves representing NOCN Group at international trade shows, conferences and industry events, using the opportunity to engage and network with key influencers and stakeholders.

You’ve known the organisation for a long time, how has NOCN Group’s International offer developed?

NOCN Group post-pandemic is a vastly different organisation from the one I left in 2020. We have moved from being recognised as a UK-based Awarding Organisation to now offering a wide range of skills solutions including Qualifications, Apprenticeship End Point Assessment, Assured Courses, Competence Cards & Tests, and Short Online Courses, internationally, whilst embracing technology to ensure an effortless journey for our customers.

The expansion of our ESOL International Qualifications is a prime example of where we have optimised our offering for an international marketplace, replacing what was a paper-based proposition in one geographical location to now being a digitally-based, globally accepted skills solution. Other examples include the expansion of our Assured Course offering for employers and their workforce or training providers and learners. Our latest innovation is the development and introduction of an International Safety Passport, including a skills test/safety programme which incorporates a recognised assessment platform offering reassurance and mitigating risk to employers whilst enabling them to develop a competent workforce.

International travel will obviously be a big part of your role, what’s coming up?

As we approach the end of January 2025, I am looking forward to my upcoming trip to the Gulf region. I will be attending the Global Labour Market Conference 2025 and the Big 5 Construct trade fair in Riyadh, KSA, for the first time along with the Regional Director from the NOCN Group Bahrain office, Ebrahim Radhi.

These events will provide new opportunities to collaborate with employers, government representatives, and learning providers, with a focus on labour market dynamics, best practice and new skills-related solutions for employers.

In April 2025, the KSA government executive agency, the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, will host and sponsor a major Spring event on skills development and employability with the support of the UK’s ministry, the Department for Business & Trade in Riyadh. Attending this event will enable me to raise visibility of the NOCN Group brand as an international skills charity, build new relationships, and support our existing regional centres.

Why do you think NOCN Group is so well placed to deliver skills solutions internationally?

We live in a global knowledge economy where skills and competence are critical to society.

NOCN Group’s portfolio is designed to align with employer needs, driven by the Net-Zero economy, the advent of ‘green skills’ credentials, and training to equip the existing and new workforce to meet those demands. We have listened to feedback from our customers to differentiate our offer within a highly competitive skills and employment ecosystem.

We essentially ensure that all of our skills solutions are fit for the future, whichever marketplace or territory we are operating in, including, for example, our new suite of Short Online Courses which are easily accessible, user-friendly and fully interactive. They also enable learners to demonstrate that their skills are up to date in an ever-evolving working environment in just a few hours with instant-access training that can be completed anywhere, any time.

What’s it like being part of the NOCN Group team again?

It felt strange coming back to the Sheffield Office last November when I was invited to participate in new sales training for all the Business Development Team. After a prolonged hiatus, working for a social impact start up in London and coming back to work for a large employer. I was welcomed by familiar faces, including the Chief Executive Graham, whom I have known for over a decade through previous gigs!

The opportunity to engage with new co-workers and to understand their remit and responsibility has been great, and it’s rewarding to be part of a supportive team of individuals who have a wider remit and recognise the value of overseas activities. I’m joining the organisation at what is a pivotal point in its international growth plan and I am excited to play a part in that.

As I embark on my maiden voyage to Saudi Arabia, I am filled with excitement about introducing NOCN Group to new networks, building a new circle of contacts as well as catching up with some familiar faces. Watch this space for insights from my travels!