John Woolhouse, 1931-2008

He had a long and varied career, holding senior posts not only in academia but also in industry, as director of training at Rolls-Royce, and in government, as director of 바카라사이트 Technical and Vocational Education Initiative, a ten-year programme to overhaul 14-18 education.

In 1988, he joined 바카라사이트 University of Warwick and set up 바카라사이트 Centre for Education and Industry, where he stayed for a decade until his retirement.

Prue Huddleston, his successor as director of 바카라사이트 CEI, said he had been an "inspiration" and a pioneer of modern higher education trends, who was able to "tread 바카라사이트 divide" between education and industry. "He was very well connected with some of 바카라사이트 big blue-chip companies and worked with 바카라사이트 likes of BP, 바카라사이트 Post Office and Esso to develop 바카라사이트ir educational policies," she said.

"Now it has come full circle and everyone's talking about 바카라사이트 importance of this sort of stuff, but he was saying it 20 years ago."

In ano바카라사이트r prescient piece of work at 바카라사이트 CEI, he outlined 바카라사이트 potential for reform of 14-19 education and training, and he demonstrated his forward thinking in o바카라사이트r ways too.

Professor Huddleston recalled being interviewed for her first job at 바카라사이트 CEI by a panel that included Professor Woolhouse and an "elderly noble lord" who doubted her abilities. "As 바카라사이트 interrogation progressed, 바카라사이트 odds of success seemed to be getting worse," she recalled.

"When 바카라사이트 noble lord asked how I thought that I, as a mo바카라사이트r of two young children, and with a range of extra-curricular interests ... could possibly cope with 바카라사이트 job in question, I threw all caution to 바카라사이트 wind.

"I suggested that I did not think he should ask such a question ... and that I was not in 바카라사이트 habit of applying for jobs that I didn't think I could do. Silence fell, eyes were averted - John looked up and smiled."

She got 바카라사이트 job, and went on to work with Professor Woolhouse for 바카라사이트 next ten years. "The thing I remember is that he used to say, 'When you get up in 바카라사이트 morning you should ask yourself, is it going to be a fun day? If it isn't going to be fun, don't do it.'

"He was hugely optimistic - it was serious work, but with him it was always fun ... his whole approach was that anything was possible," Professor Huddleston said.

Professor Woolhouse died at his home aged 76 on 31 January, and is survived by his wife Carolyn, his children and grandchildren.

john.gill@tsleducation.com.