Wes Johnson

Principal & Chief Executive Lancaster & Morecambe College

Wes Johnson joined Lancaster & Morecambe College (LMC) in April 2017 as Principal and Chief Executive and will take up the same role at Myerscough College from 1^st September 2023. Wes is also the Chair of The Lancashire Colleges and a Director of the Lancaster & Morecambe Chamber of Commerce. Wes has over 25 years’ experience in education, with 12 years as a senior leader in both general and specialist further and higher education institutions across the north of England.

Previous roles have seen Wes lead and deliver education in many settings, from serving disparate rural populations in Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Northumberland to disadvantaged urban communities in areas of Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Leeds and Bradford. Wes has a passion for high impact teaching, learning and skills development underpinning the positive influence colleges have in raising aspiration, life chances and the economic wellbeing of individuals, businesses and wider communities.

Lancaster & Morecambe College is a regional provider of technical, professional and creative education, focused on providing young people and adults with the skills and knowledge to enable them to progress into employment or on to further study.

The College has developed specialisms aligned with its local economy and skills requirements, including Low Carbon Energy Production, Renewables and Retrofit. As a founding partner of the Morecambe Bay Curriculum, Wes is committed to ensuring clear progression opportunities for all members of the community into sustainable and productive careers, whilst making a positive contribution to place.

The Lancashire Colleges played a key role in the Government’s Skills Accelerator Pilot in 2022, delivering the largest Strategic Development Fund project in England and contributing to the county’s Local Skills Improvement Plan.

As a Director of the local Chamber of Commerce, Wes ensures that he is accessible and accountable to hundreds of local businesses, ranging from SME’s to large international organisations. We has high expectations of his organisation in matching the skills the College develops to current and future national and local skills needs.