Meet our Executive Team

Jean-Paul Lawrence – Vice Principal Partnerships and Growth

Jean-Paul is the Vice Principal of Partnerships and Growth at Barnsley College. He joined the College in September 2024 as Interim Director of Marketing, Communications and PR, and was also Director of AI Integration, having spent the previous seven years in leadership roles within Further Education. He took up his current Vice Principal role in 2025.

Jean-Paul has responsibility for working collaboratively alongside the College's network to generate opportunities for partnerships, business development and growth across College. His remit includes external relations, stakeholder engagement, funding, and the development of partnerships that support skills, innovation, and long-term organisational sustainability.

Jean-Paul has worked across Further and Higher Education, hospitality and the charity sector and spent many years working within the education sector in China – giving him an international perspective on educational delivery, partnership working, organisational development, and cross-cultural collaboration. His professional interests focus on business development, strategic partnerships, and growth innovation, underpinned by an MBA. He also has a strong interest in linguistics, having completed a Master’s in Applied Linguistics specialising in second language acquisition. Alongside his executive role, Jean-Paul is a qualified personal trainer, reflecting a wider interest in health, performance, and personal development.