The SLIM Team

The Skills and Learning Intelligence Module is managed by the Marchmont Observatory, at the University of Exeter.

Brief biographies of each member of the team are available below.

If you are coming to visit our office view the map and directions online.

Chris is Director of the Marchmont Observatory, established at Exeter University in 1998, with responsibility for overall strategic developments and the oversight and commissioning of research. Chris has 15 years experience working at the national level on learning, skills employment and economic regeneration issues. She has eight years experience of managing European programmes promoting skills, learning and employment and has assessed and evaluated a large range of projects.

Email: ChrsEvans@aol.com

Ben Neild is Assistant Director of the Marchmont Observatory and manages the development of SLIM. Ben has been working in the field of workforce development and lifelong learning since 1991 and is also an experienced project developer and manager. He has experience within the private sector and as a provider of training.



Email: B.Neild@exeter.ac.uk

Peter is responsible for developing and contributing to the research activity of both SLIM and of the wider Marchmont Observatory. He is also responsible for supporting the work of and managing research projects for the South West Employment and Skills Research Forum.

Peter has several years experience as an academic researcher and lecturer in Higher Education, and has worked extensively in Further Education on both a provider and a planning level in marketing research, policy research, project management and strategic planning.

Email: P.A.Whalley@exeter.ac.uk

Andrew Dean is the Co-ordinator for Marchmont / SLIM. His responsibilities include:
• virtual communications, through networks, discussions and on-line conferencing
• dissemination, including design and production of materials, presentations, writing/producing electronic newsletters
• the management of events and conferences

Andy is an experienced events manager. He also has nearly 10 years experience in managing research projects. He has experience managing sub-contractors and multi-partner projects and acted as an internal auditor for ISO 9001. He has gained useful experience in the use of complex ICT systems for data analysis and the design and management of web-sites.

Email: A.Dean@exeter.ac.uk

Jo Pye has over 20 years' experience of electronic information services. She has researched and reported on technology based training projects in Europe, the UK and the South West since the mid 1990s. For Marchmont, Jo designs and leads large scale evaluations of the impact of online learning on adult learners and trainers and contributes to a range of studies in the UK and EU. For SLIM Jo plays a major role in learning themes, for which she reviews national and regional resources and evidence to inform regional policy development.

Email: J.Pye@exeter.ac.uk

Caroline is a researcher working on the evaluation of the European Social Fund in the Objective One Programme area of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. She has a background in agricultural economics and rural development and has been involved in both qualitative and quantitative research over the past four years.

Email: C.E.Hattam@exeter.ac.uk

Jo Cursley is involved in action research with Marchmont Observatory.  She has a particular interest in developing ways in which adults can be encouraged to upskill sufficiently to get back into employment, and has worked on ways of encouraging employability skills through the Arts. She is also involved in piloting a Learner Support Award,  developed through the School of Education by Dr Morgan, .across several schools and colleges. Her considerable experience in Further Education both at Senior Management Level and working closely with students and before that, in schools, with hard to reach students has informed her present work.

At present she is continuing work with the Learner Support Award and working at a pilot in a prison researching the use of music in developing learners' employability and personal effectiveness skills. 

Email: J.M.Cursley@exeter.ac.uk

Kim Diment is working on the collaborative research project between Marchmont and SELL, which is focussed on young people in the South West in Jobs Without Training and she is contributing to the evaluation of the SWOOP projects. She has been working in qualitative educational research for the past ten years, and has also been a teacher/lecturer in the secondary, FE and HE sectors.

Email: K.R.Diment@exeter.ac.uk

Katie Kelsey is Research Officer and has been working with Marchmont since November 2004. She works mainly on European projects, carrying out primary and secondary research, coordinating the project activity and developing the partnerships. Katie has been working in regional development since 1997. She was a researcher in the strategy team at the West Midlands Regional Development Agency for 5 years. Katie first worked as a researcher in 1981 and has carried out a wide variety of environmental projects prior to her work in regional development.

Email: K.L.Kelsey@exeter.ac.uk

Kevin has a background in scientific and technological project management and event organisation. He is an experienced network administrator, managing and developing materials for the web, including research, networks, researchers, and Learning Themes and is responsible for the maintenance of both SLIM's and Marchmont's dynamic database driven websites. Kevin is competent in a range of computer programmes, including Microsoft Office, Access, Dreamweaver (including CSS and ASP), and SPSS.

Kevin joined SLIM in 2006 to assist in administering ESF projects and now maintains the SLIM web presence and provides research and IT support for the team.

Email: Kevin.Aggett@exeter.ac.uk

L.D.Bingham@exeter.ac.uk

Hilary has a background in administration, banking and personnel and training. She currently has responsibility for management of the office and assists in the financial running of the team. She also organises the workshops and finalises reports and publications prior to printing. She is competent in a range of software packages including Microsoft Office and Access.



Email: M.H.Todd@exeter.ac.uk

SLIM (Skills and Learning Intelligence Module)
The Marchmont Observatory
University of Exeter
St Luke's Campus
Holnicote Annex
Heavitree Road
Exeter EX1 2LU

Tel: 01392 264850
Fax: 01392 264966
Email: swslim@exeter.ac.uk