A graduate from the University of Liverpool and the College of Law, Nicola worked in banking and recruitment for eight years before joining Aston University in 2003. Her first job there was to manage a project with the lofty aims of improving the employability of graduates in the West Midlands and creating growth in SMEs. The work hit the skills and growth agenda at a perfect time and found jobs for thousands of graduates in local SMEs; the success of the Birmingham-based scheme attracted accolades and ignited interest in internships. Now Director of Employability,

Nicola continues to oversee internship activity in the West Midlands, manages the Aston University Careers Service and a newly-centralised Placements team.