
13/06/2025
We are absolutely delighted to announce Claudine Adeyemi-Adams FIEP as the recipient of the prestigious IEP Fellow of the Year 2025 award, presented at the IEP Summit Networking Dinner last night.
This award is one of the most meaningful and heartfelt recognitions in the IEP calendar – a celebration of leadership, innovation, and unwavering commitment to the employability profession. The room was filled with admiration and applause as Claudine accepted the award, presented by Liz Sewell FIEP, last year’s winner, and Brian Bell FIEP, President of Fedcap, who proudly announced this year’s honouree.
Sponsored by Fedcap
We are deeply grateful to Fedcap for sponsoring this year’s award and for their continued commitment to highlighting those who are making a real difference in people’s lives. Their support ensures we continue to celebrate the excellence, dedication, and trailblazing leadership that drives our profession forward.
Celebrating All Our Finalists
Claudine was selected by a panel of IEP Fellows from a highly competitive shortlist, and we would also like to extend our warmest congratulations to the two other outstanding finalists:
- Veejay Patel MBE FIEP
- David Elsmere FIEP
Both are doing remarkable work to empower individuals and shape the future of our sector. We are proud to count them among our Fellowship.
Why Claudine?
Claudine stood out for her unique blend of lived experience, purposeful leadership, and innovation. Through her work at Earlybird, she is transforming employability services – developing cutting-edge tools that improve access and outcomes for those furthest from the labour market. Her approach is bold, values-led, and deeply compassionate.
But Claudine’s contribution goes far beyond her own work. She is a generous sharer of insight, a passionate contributor to IEP events and discussions, and a vocal advocate for a better, fairer system of support. She embodies the spirit of the Fellowship – collaborative, forward-thinking, and driven by impact.
In Claudine’s Words
“This award and recognition means the absolute world to me because everything that this sector does and stands for leans so deeply into my why.
“I’ve been supported by employability programmes. I’ve delivered employability programmes. And now, through Earlybird, I’m building tools to help make that support even better–but also deeply committed to supporting providers of these services to navigate through these exciting but very much uncertain times.
“So, thank you to all the Fellows and Members of the IEP that have engaged with my work in one way or another, Scott Parkin FIEP FRSA and the IEP team – and a huge thank you to my own team who support me every day to achieve this vision I have for a world where every single person deserves the opportunity to thrive in employment.
“Such an honour to take the baton from the Employability Queen herself, Liz Sewell FIEP.”
A Truly Deserved Honour
We are incredibly proud to name Claudine Adeyemi-Adams FIEP our IEP Fellow of the Year 2025. Her leadership, compassion, and courage are inspiring others across the sector – and helping to shape a stronger, more inclusive future for employability.
Congratulations, Claudine – and thank you for everything you bring to the IEP and to the communities we serve.