Rob Allen Business and Community Engagement Manager
Contacting Rob
Tel: 0191-222-5000
Netskills,
Newcastle University
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 7RU
UK
Joining Netskills way back in 1996, Rob has had a number of roles including trainer, business development manager and deputy director, as Netskills itself has developed from fully funded project to a dynamic self-sustaining business. He has worked across a range of fields including web technologies, e-learning for adult and community learning, public libraries, e-administration and e-business.
He currently leads the work of JISC Advance in business and community engagement, working closely with partners in the JISC executive and JISC Advance. This work explores the use of ICT in supporting the engagement between universities/colleges and external partners such as businesses and community organisations.
Organisations he has worked with include universities, colleges, libraries and learning centres all over the country, plus internationally with the British Council in Sri Lanka, and the European Trade Union Association in Florence and Stockholm.
Educated at Manchester University with a MEng in Microelectronic Systems then at Newcastle University for a PhD in Computing (Parallel Processing), Rob returned to higher education in later years to complete a part time executive MBA programme at Newcastle. Rob also has completed the Netskills/BTEC Professional Development Certificate in Web Development, and is a PRINCE2 project management practitioner and MSP (Managing Successful Programmes) practitioner. As if that weren't enough he is studying an MSc in Organisational Psychology and is a member of the British Psychological Society.
Rob has been a member of a number of high profile national committees and boards, both past and current. These include:
- NIACE/Netskills ACL Senior Managers e-Learning Steering Group
- JISC e-Learning Coordination Group
- JISC Advisory Services Group
- LSC/JISC Specialist Colleges Steering Board
- Netskills/JISC i-skills Steering Group
- JISC Business and Community Engagement Advisory Group
Prior to working for Netskills, Rob was involved in academic research and before moving to Newcastle worked at ICL developing their next generation computer systems.
Rob is a keen traveller, having visited countries in Eastern and Western Europe, North and South America, Africa, India and South East Asia, and enjoys cooking and eating foreign cuisines. A trumpet player and pianist, he has played with a number of bands and performed at various venues nationally.