Lorna Unwin is Professor Emerita (Vocational Education) at the UCL Institute of Education, London, and represents the University of London on the board of trustees. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and an Honorary Fellow at both the National Institute of Economic and Social Research and University Campus Oldham. In 2014, Lorna was awarded an OBE and awarded a Fellowship of the City and Guilds of London Institute in 2005, both for services to vocational education.
After working as a journalist on weekly newspapers, Lorna trained as a teacher and taught in further and adult education. Her research has focused on the ways in which people develop their expertise and how workplaces can be better organized to support and nurture learning. Her particular interest in the history of vocational education in the UK stems from growing up in a family in Manchester steeped in apprenticeship and evening classes. She remains committed to trying to improve opportunities for young people and adults to fulfil their potential.