Dan Heffernan is the Community Programmes Director at AtkinsRéalis, a world‑leading design, engineering, and project management organisation. In this role, Dan leads the development and delivery of community programmes focused on skills, education, and employability across the Middle East and Asia, ensuring that major infrastructure and development projects create lasting socio‑economic value for local communities.
Dan works closely with governments, clients, education providers, and delivery partners to embed inclusive skills pathways from project inception through to delivery. His work focuses on translating investment and growth into measurable outcomes, including workforce readiness, youth employment, and access to education aligned to future labour market needs.
Prior to joining AtkinsRéalis, Dan was the Strategic Lead for Education and Skills for Local Government Departments in the United Kingdom, where he shaped regional skills strategies and employer‑led education programmes. He has also held senior leadership roles within national and regional charities, delivering large‑scale programmes supporting young people and under‑represented communities.
Dan is a trained Social Value Practitioner and Career Guidance Practitioner and has held a number of senior advisory and governance roles across employment, skills, and education systems. These include serving as Employer Chair for the West Midlands Combined Authority in the United Kingdom, Vice Chair of the Connected Futures Partnership Board, and membership of multiple strategic employment and advisory boards.
Growing up in a deprived neighbourhood in England, Dan is deeply committed to social mobility, inclusive recruitment, and levelling the playing field for young people. He is a strong advocate for employer‑led skills systems that are inclusive, locally relevant, and globally scalable.
