Shaping Skills and Lives: Vikki Sylvester's Journey from Patient Care to Further Education Leadership

Introduction: Victoria Sylvester

My career began in the care sector, where I became a qualified nurse, instilling in me a strong belief in the value of care education and its progression routes. During my nursing career, I supported student nurses on placement, healthcare support workers pursuing NVQs, and Filipino nurses settling into the UK to address the skills gap.

My time in nursing was brief, as my mother was setting up a training provision for her care home. We registered with City & Guilds, leading to the establishment of Acacia Training in 2000.

At 21, I co-founded the business and transitioned into Further Education as the Operations Director, later advancing to Managing Director and currently serving as CEO.

Why did you choose a career in further education?

Fundamentally driven by a desire to enhance skills, knowledge, and recruitment in the care sector, my journey naturally evolved into a mission to positively impact various other sectors and, most importantly, people's lives. My own educational path was non-traditional; after being directed to college, which didn't suit me, I discovered vocational training by accident. At the time, it was rarely discussed as a viable career option.

I quickly developed a passion for teaching, finding immense satisfaction in witnessing learners achieve their goals and advance in their careers.

Tell us about a notable early experience in your career

I vividly remember failing my final assignment during nurse training and having to redo it. While my classmates were celebrating and confidently attending job interviews, I was anxiously awaiting the results of my re-sit, feeling much less confident in my interviews. This experience taught me a great deal about resilience, picking myself back up, and not giving up. On the positive side, passing that re-sit made the success taste even sweeter.

In terms of leading an Independent Training Provider, one of my most vivid memories is winning our first direct contract. We spent years as a sub-contractor, building up a track record, which was the entry route into the sector at the time. Winning that first contract felt like we had finally been accepted and broken through a ceiling, enabling us to make a significant positive difference.

Another cherished memory involves one of my first learners. I ran into her five years later at a conference, and she eagerly approached me to proudly share that she had become a manager and was enjoying her life. Moments like these, especially during tough times, remind me why I do what I do.

How have you developed your career as a leader in further education?

Always learning! I don't just mean qualifications or courses, although they have their place. The greatest lessons often come from the most challenging times. You don't learn much during good times, but my motto of "win or learn" ensures I always take something positive from any situation. Surrounding myself with good people who share my values and vision has taught me the importance of giving more of my time to those relationships.

One strategy I find particularly helpful is removing judgment—of yourself, others, and situations. Instead of judging, which can lead to blame or negativity, focus on understanding to move forward. Be kind to yourself, take the time to understand others, and avoid making assumptions, as they are often wrong. Concentrate on what can be done instead of what can't, and do this as quickly as possible to facilitate progress. Although difficult in our sector, viewing mistakes as learning tools helps use them positively rather than wasting time being hard on yourself.

My final tips are to make decisions and step out of your comfort zone to move past the fear zone. You will get some decisions wrong and change others, but procrastination is the real enemy, not mistakes. At least mistakes provide valuable lessons.
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Tell us about some key achievements in your career

Bringing up four children alongside running a business has to be my first major achievement. Although being a parent never ends, seeing them grow up into wonderful and kind people, means I kept the plates spinning well enough.

Getting our first Ofsted "Good" was huge for us, we had worked so hard and when we got there I was super proud of the team.

Winning Apprenticeship Provider of the Year was also a lovely moment - I genuinely was just happy to have been shortlisted and had not for one second thought we would win.

Being a B-corp organisation is a real achievement I am proud off because it is a very hard assessment to pass demonstrating our impact on social and environmental value, and keeping these values central to core.

What have been the biggest challenges you've faced in your career and how did you overcome them?

It took me a long time to learn how to manage anxiety, learn to be kinder to myself and accept that in this sector a lot of things are out of your control therefore learning to focus on what you can impact as oppose to what you can't is crucial. This is challenging because sometimes it takes a long time to see change and other times change hits you like a steam train pelting off the tracks, however always looking for what you can do will guide you through quicker.

Unfortunately, this sector can at times have a tendency to focus on what has gone wrong as oppose to what has gone well. At times, it can feel over-whelming, however the culture is driven from way higher up than ourselves and a key thing I learnt is that you don't have to let that define yourself or your own organisational culture - that is something you are in control of and a change in how you think about this can bring a change in how you approach challenges and complexity.

What are your thoughts on improving the further education sector?

We need to see more collaborative working on all levels and with all stakeholders, working more strategically to be able to have a real impact on people, business and the economy. This will take a lot of effort to understand the different objectives, but in my view is the way to achieving them. We need to simplify the system, make education accessible for all, think more about wider impacts and also have a much longer term plan. Personally, I would also like to see environmental built into the Ofsted framework so our learners and employers are prepared for the future with regards to climate action.

What advice would you give to aspiring leaders in further education?

My advice is to use mistakes as learning tools, be kind to yourself, and remove judgment to broaden your perspective. It can feel lonely at times, but I assure you that others have had similar experiences. Surround yourself with good people and connect with others in the sector; you'll be surprised at how helpful they can be. Engage with local and national networks to build these connections. Focus on what you can do rather than what you can't, and step out of your comfort zone—you'll find it’s not as daunting as you might think.

Find out more

You can follow Vikki on LinkedIn, here is a link to her profile

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