Joel Thomas was educated as a lawyer in the UK, achieving a Joint Honours LLb in Law with Business from the University of Portsmouth. Over the years, Joel has gained a vast amount of experience across a number of global blue-chip organisations including Toyota, Carlsberg, Puig and General Mills progressing through the ranks to gain experience at Director level. This has enabled him to excel in his work with continuous progress and development. He is an energetic young professional and an entrepreneur with a wealth of experience and an advocate of Lifelong Blended Learning and education over many years.
As Joel has advanced in working within the large global organisations, he has observed within the workforce, a trend where there are two tribes within the workforce, those who had progressed academically and achieved their higher qualifications and awards, and those with no formal higher education achievements at all. For many of the higher ranked senior positions, there is an increasing acceptance and change in the notion of education achievements whether formal or non formal.
Whilst in most publicly traded businesses, there is a prerequisite to have a Masters or above qualification, it is accepted that the most successful leaders and entrepreneurs thrive in their roles due to the problem-solving skills they have acquired through man years of hands-on experience and lifelong learning.
Based on these observations, Joel hasbecome a key advocate of the vision Lifelong Learning and continues to lead and provide insight on how progressive educational Institutions can continue to provide valuable qualification and awards pathways to those who have gained significant knowledge and experience within their professions, which enable then to progress in their lifelong careers.