About

As a self-motivated, pracademic thought leader in Employability, I am solution-driven, creating thriving environments that unlock the potential of individuals, teams, students, and graduates. As a manager, leader, coach, mentor, and action-focused educator, I take pride in the lasting impact my work has had on organizational culture and student success. I inspire and develop colleagues and students, relishing the opportunity to improve teams, services, and institutional outcomes.
I work collaboratively across the university, providing proactive leadership and accountability for high-performing services that align with the University's strategic goals, enhancing its position as a world-leading applied institution while addressing external challenges.

I lead the design, delivery, and implementation of the University's Employability & Student Success Strategy, ensuring coherence, impact, and sustainable growth across employability, careers, enterprise, work experience, and graduate support. I shape the vision for employability, enterprise, and student success, ensuring a cohesive approach across academic schools, institutes, and colleges.

Additionally, I manage long-term strategic planning for Graduate Outcomes, adapting to evolving university needs and national agendas to ensure the employability portfolio contributes to institutional success. I lead a multifunctional team to deliver integrated employability, graduate support, and enterprise solutions, ensuring alignment with institutional goals and performance tracking through KPIs.

I also drive the University's influence on regional graduate recruitment, retention, and success strategies, leveraging government policies to promote graduate recruitment and enterprise. I represent the University with key partners, including the South Yorkshire Region, Local Enterprise Partnerships, the South Yorkshire Innovation Programme, the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, and Yorkshire Universities.

I have spearheaded initiatives to enhance student attainment in both higher education and commercial sectors, including transforming training and education infrastructure with British Gymnastics. I have led efforts to improve the student experience and develop service partnerships, including successfully deploying over 500 student placements per year, generating over £1m in commercial activity within the employer market annually.

Teaching

College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences

Subject areas - 
Coaching and leadership
Coach Development & growth
Sports Management
Human Resource Management
Facility Management
Marketing and communications
Entrepreneurialism
Applied Practical Pedagogy 

Courses -
Sports Business Management 
Sports Coaching
Physical Education & School Sport

Research

Kent, E. & Kerrigan, K (2024). Business in the Curriculum: The story so far. In K. Daniels & S. Loer Hansen (Eds.), How to enable engagement between universities and business: A guide for building relationships (pp. 201-212). How To Guides.

Employability in Programme Development: Best practice case study ‘Cracking the Employability Code’ https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/epd/case%20studies/#institutionledinitiatives

Roehampton University: Keynote speaker: Institutional organisational structure review – Careers & Employability March 2023

Anglia Ruskin University Employability & Enterprise Conference, Keynote speaker 27th June 2023

Institute of Student Employers – Key note speaker ISE Student Recruitment Conference 2022 - Institute of Student Employers | ISE How to build an attraction strategy that meets Gen Z where they are. 

Yorkshire Universities Graduate Support Steering Group: Supporting Graduate Employment and Employability in Yorkshire (May 2022) https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2022/05/20/employability-blog-series-improving-graduate-employment-employability-in-yorkshire/

UUKi – Mobility and the Turing Scheme: Round Table discussion (May 2022)

National Centre for Entrepreneurial Education - Universities Symposium:  Keynote speaker: (October 2022) Sheffield Hallam University.

National Centre for Entrepreneurial Education - NCEE Webinar Series - Entrepreneurial Universities and Place – Regional Start-up Ecosystems: Where Do Universities Fit? 29th March 2023.  Panel member

Webinar in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University will include a panel of expert discussants to examine how universities can contribute to vibrant start-up communities using South Yorkshire as a case study of what works and what needs improving.

Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI)– Research output and round table: How can you help me?: Students’ perspectives on careers services and employment (Dec 2022) https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2022/12/08/most-students-oppose-the-plans-in-england-to-reduce-access-to-student-loans-for-those-on-certain-courses-but-they-do-want-to-see-courses-more-focused-on-employment/

Yorkshire Universities Graduate Innovation group member (2021- present)

MyGovCentral published: Integrating Employability across course curriculums (July 22) https://www.governmentevents.co.uk/integrating-employability-across-course-curriculums/

National Graduate Employability Conference – Panel member, Leading an Impactful Employability Team (March 2022)

British Council: Enhancing Graduate employability - Baku, (Nov 2019)

Advanced HE – Cracking the Employability Code (August 2020) https://shura.shu.ac.uk/28053/

Advanced HE – Published article & Conference presentation – Class of 21, (August 2021)

AGCAS - Academic Alignment; Phoenix & Conference presentation (June 2019)https://issuu.com/agcas_00/docs/agcas_-_phoenix_157_aw_single_pages/1

Publications

Other activities

External Examiner - University of Chester

Chief External Examiner - University of Ulster