Avanta Chief Executive receives OBE from Prince Charles

Janette Faherty, CEO of Avanta, one of the UK’s largest welfare to work, skills and enterprise training organisations, received her OBE from HRH Prince Charles at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Friday 21st May.


Janette Faherty collects OBE from Buckingham PalaceShe was awarded the OBE for services to unemployed people and entrepreneurship. At any one time, Avanta is working with over 30,000 people to develop skills and move into employment or self employment. With over 100 offices across the UK, Avanta employs over 1,000 people.

Janette grew up in Ellesmere Port before undertaking an Honours degree in Politics and Modern History at Manchester University, followed by a Masters in Philosophy at Brunel University.

Janette set up the training provider TNG in 1983 to help unemployed people develop the skills they needed to move into employment. In 2006, TNG merged with InBiz, an organisation specialising in helping the disadvantaged move into self employment and entrepreneurship, to form Avanta.

Janette is passionate about developing entrepreneurship, and is a director of Prowess, the organisation which promotes women’s enterprise and a Patron of Women in Management, as well as a member of several governmental bodies and committees.

Janette, who collected her OBE in front of an audience that included her mother, Jean, her husband Albert and daughters Sorcha and Tara said, "This was a very proud moment for my family. Being awarded an OBE is a huge honour, and is a reflection on a remarkable team. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every member of the Avanta team, past and present, for their contribution to the success of Avanta.

"We do so much more than help people into work. We help people to build confidence, develop skills, gain independence and improve their lives through employment and entrepreneurship. I am extremely fortunate to have spent the last 26 years doing a job I am passionate about and committed to, and receiving my OBE today was the icing on the cake."