Darren Schofield

Dr Darren Schofield is a Lecturer in People Management at Salford Business School, University of Salford, with a PhD in Education from the University of Huddersfield. His career spans 22 years in retail leadership at Wm Morrisons Supermarkets Plc (culminating as Head of Group Commercial Operations) and active British Army Reserve service including operational deployment in Afghanistan and command of the 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment during Operation RESCRIPT (UK's Covid-19 pandemic response).

His educational background includes:

• PhD in Education (2016-2020), University of Huddersfield (full-time)
• MSc Strategic Human Resource Management (2014-2015, full-time)
• BSc (Hons) Open (2007-2014)
• Professional Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) (2015-2016), University of Huddersfield

His research centers on Vocational Education and Training (VET) systems, workplace social mobility dynamics, and critical analysis of credentialism and meritocracy frameworks. Current projects include authoring the 2025 academic book 'Vocational Education for Retail Buying: Workplace Learning and Training in the UK' and leading British Army Headquarters' research into Reservist Terms and Conditions of Service. His work bridges military, retail, and academic contexts to examine how training pathways impact career progression.

As Programme Leader for the Graduate Certificate in International Management and Senior Leader Degree Apprenticeship in Leadership and Management, he directs curriculum development while lecturing on Post Graduate Research Methods, Resourcing & Talent Management, and Organisational Behaviour & Change. He actively supervises PhD candidates in VET, leadership, and social mobility research despite no named students appearing in current records.