Bryony Evett Hackfort
Bryony Evett Hackfort is the Director of Learning, Teaching, Technology and Skills for Coleg Sir Gar and Coleg Ceredigion in South West Wales. Bryony is extremely proud of the Further Education (FE) sector in Wales and feels passionately about the need to amplify its voice. Bryony started her FE journey in 2006 within the Performing Arts department and made the move into the leadership of teaching and learning in 2018. Since that time, Bryony has made the most of every opportunity to learn about the FE community and establish links, networks and projects driven to support the FE sector. Bryony aspires to be a future leader for FE and be part of helping to shape its direction.
As a leader, Bryony wants to enable and support those around her to recognise their own strength, value, potential and voice within their organisation and externally. Bryony has demonstrated a commitment to this approach through the creation and implementation of the Action Research programme and the development of Coleg Sir Gar and Coleg Ceredigion’s ‘Culture of Curiosity’. Action Research and the wider FE speaks movement, is about showing staff that they are able to shape and influence not only their organisation but the sector as whole in order to give our learners the best possible experience and opportunity to reach their potential. This programme has achieved national recognition through the Princess Royal Training Award 2022 and has already had a significant impact on the confidence and value that many of our academic staff are now starting to place on their own work and capabilities.
Due to her work in this area, Bryony, now leading a funded National Project to establish an action research culture with identified colleges across Wales with the support of Welsh Government and the UCU. Bryony has built a solid community around this work and has regularly spoken at National Conferences for the AoC and NEU, co-founded the Research College Group, sits on the AoC Research Further Advisory Board and was the first Welsh Convenor for the Learning and Skills Research Network.
Bryony applied to become an Associate as she recognised the importance of making informed decisions based on up to date, relevant and innovative professional learning opportunities that will support her to lead at a high level and make informed and effective choices.
Outside of work Bryony loves spending time with her husband and son at their seaside home in Ferryside. She very much enjoys reading and horse riding and will take any opportunity to spend time doing either!
@ColegSirGar
