Hello, I'm Billy!
Thank you for visiting my website to discover more about me and I hope you will connect.
After a successful career working for education, government, local authority, public sector and charity organisations, I started my journey as a freelance consultant in January 2020.
I wholeheartedly enjoy working with the education sector to improve the quality of education and learning experience, by leveraging technology and embedding innovation to deliver impact.
Introduction
I am a experienced and successful curriculum design, learning technology and IT strategy consultant. My two decade career spans education, charities, public-sector organisations and local government authorities. Throughout my career, I was privileged to hold several positions, including Head of e-Learning, VLE Programme Director, National IT Education Programme Manager, Learning Technologies Officer, Assistant Principal, and Chief Executive Officer.
Since formation in January 2020, I have been privileged to work with a diverse range of clients on a series of high profile projects and interim assignments. I passionately believe that the fusion of creative minds, people and technology is the key to unleashing the full potential of technology.
My mission is to: empower people and organisations to adapt, unify and thrive in the evolving technology landscape.
My core values are: Integrity, Excellence & Innovation
INTEGRITY
I prioritise transparency and honesty, ensuring that my clients and partners can trust in me to deliver.
EXCELLENCE
I strive for the highest standards in everything I do, aiming to exceed expectations consistently.
INNOVATION
I embrace change and foster creativity, always seeking new solutions to meet the evolving needs of my clients.
Recent Achievements
Since starting as a freelance consultant, I have been engaged in a series of projects for further, higher and adult education and training providers. Here are some of the achievements that I've accomplished recently:
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Led the design & implementation of an assistive technology and digital skills curriculum pathway for LSIF.
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Designed an innovative LSIF funded skills competition in Artificial Intelligence.
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Worked with GFE college to design and implement higher technical qualification (HTQ) in Computing.
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Supported a college to develop enrichment programme for computing connecting industry employers.
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Completed a strategic review of computing/IT provision for a large further education college group.
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Designed Level 5 qualification in Assistive Technology for Health & Care which is now Ofqual approved.
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Conducted audit of digital and computing curriculum provision for large adult education service provider.
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Authored successful bid applications to secure over 500k funding for two DfE Projects.
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Designed and developed cyber security programmes which were BCS accredited.
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Led ICT curriculum review for post-16 college to identify opportunities for improvement and growth.
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Implemented Service Level Agreements for IT service teams to improve customer experience.
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Development of a digital transformation framework for a large college group.
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Co-authored a winning bid to secure funding for Edtech Demonstrator College.
Interesting Facts
MY FIRST
GAMES CONSOLE
The Master System is a third-generation 8-bit home video game console manufactured by Sega. It landed in the UK in 1987.
MY FIRST
DESKTOP PC
The Atari ST 1040 was one of the earliest personal computers shipped to the UK in 1986. It had a base RAM configuration of 1 MB.
MY FIRST
MOBILE PHONE
The Nokia 5110 was introduced by Nokia on 12 April 1998. It featured an 84×48-pixel monochrome LCD with four LED backlights.
Software & Technology Skills
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Highly proficient user of Microsoft (Windows), Apple (IOS) and Android devices.
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Cloud: Microsoft 365, Google Apps, Google Workspace, AWS
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CRM & CMS: Drupal and WordPress
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Microsoft 365: Office, Sway, Teams, SharePoint, Project, Power Automate, PowerBI, PowerApps
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Core Systems: Azure, PowerShell, Exchange Server
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Artificial Intelligence: OpenAI, Co-Pilot, Gemini
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Adobe Creative Cloud: Photoshop, Premier, Audition, After Effects, Character Animator, Illustrator
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Learning and Instructional Design: Articulate 360 - Rise, Storyline, Reach & Review
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Task Management: Asana, Slack, SharePoint
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Web: Dreamweaver, Wix, Visual Studio, HTML, HTML5, Java, CSS, PHP, Python
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Data: SIMS.net, SISRA, SERCO Facility, e-Tracker, Unit-E, MESMA, ProMonitor, ProPortal
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VLE: Moodle, Blackboard, Mahara, Canvas, Moodle Workplace
Professional Photos
Here you can find professional portrait photos of Billy Smith.
Personal Biography
I was born and raised on a council estate in South East London, where I exhibited entrepreneurial traits from a young age. At just 7 years old, I set up a "kids' bar" in my garden shed, selling shots of orange juice for 20p. Growing up in a creative environment, with both my parents being musicians, I explored acting as a child, appearing in various films, TV commercials, and documentaries. Despite my parents leaving school before the age of 14 without qualifications, they wholeheartedly supported my academic and personal endeavours, even though we faced financial struggles.
I attended a mixed comprehensive secondary school, which was rated among the top 10 worst in the UK, where I pursued GCSEs in computing, music, and applied art alongside core subjects. I furthered my studies at NESCOT college, focusing on A-level computing and deter myself from being involved with potential gang influences. During my college years, I worked part-time at my high school, assisting the IT network manager and computing curriculum team, which ignited my passion for education.
Continuing my educational journey, I pursued a degree in education and constantly update my skills with micro-credentials and online training, reflecting my commitment to lifelong learning. As a person with hearing impairment, I passionately advocate for inclusion and accessibility, particularly leveraging the role of technology.
Beyond my professional pursuits, I find joy in my love for animals, particularly dogs, which have been constant companions throughout my life. I love my dogs - they support me to maintain a positive mental health and I advocate for the use of dogs to support learners with diverse learning, social and emotional needs to overcome barriers in educational settings.
Currently residing in South London with my family and two dogs, I enjoy hobbies such as hiking, drone flying, attending live band performances, learning through online platforms like YouTube, playing the piano, and video editing.