Fedcap Celebrates the Career of Wales’ ELITE Supported Employment Leader Andrea Wayman

Wales, UK—Fedcap is celebrating the legacy of Andrea Wayman, who is retiring as Chief Executive Officer of award-winning ELITE Supported Employment in Wales, UK, after 30 years of service.

Since launching ELITE Supported Employment in 1994, Andrea has worked tirelessly to enable more than 20,000 individuals with disabilities and barriers to work to access and sustain meaningful employment.

Through its award-winning social enterprises operating across Wales in the United Kingdom, ELITE creates pathways into work by providing tailored supported employment, training and advocacy. It is recognised for its holistic approach, empowering individuals to thrive in the workplace.

Over the past several years, Andrea Wayman has been recognized across Wales and the United Kingdom as a leading voice in supported employment and social enterprise. In 2022, she was appointed Vice Chair of the Welsh Government’s Economic Ministerial Advisory Board, bringing her expertise to national policy discussions. She also served as Co-Chair of the Wales Regional Access to Work Group, strengthening coordination among the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Welsh Government, and key stakeholders.

Andrea’s leadership has continued to shape national programs, including her 2023 appointment to DWP’s Expert Advisory Panel for the new Universal Support Programme, where she advised on the fidelity model for Supported Employment. That same year, her peers across the sector honored her with the prestigious ERSA Outstanding Contribution to the Sector Award.

Her influence in social enterprise has also grown significantly. In 2024, Andrea was appointed Chair of the Wales Social Enterprise Stakeholder Group, and in 2025 she was named an Honorary Fellow of Social Enterprise UK—one of the field’s highest recognitions.

 “Andrea Wayman’s leadership embodies the very best of what our sector strives to achieve. For more than three decades, she has transformed possibility into progress for thousands of individuals facing barriers to work across Wales,” said Christine McMahon, President and CEO of Fedcap. “Through her vision, ELITE has become a model of excellence in supported employment—combining compassion, innovation, and rigorous practice to help more than 20,000 people secure meaningful, sustainable jobs. We are honored that ELITE joined The Fedcap Group earlier this year, ensuring that Andrea’s extraordinary legacy of inclusion and opportunity will continue to grow.”

Respected by government departments, elected officials, policymakers, and her peers, Andrea has played an instrumental role in the supported employment and social enterprise movements, lending her expertise to government ministers in England and Wales.

 “It has been a privilege to spend the last 30 years enabling people to realise and achieve their ambitions and improve their economic mobility,” said Andrea Wayman. “I’m grateful to have worked alongside people who have similar beliefs in knowing they were making a difference to people’s lives, by providing person-centred support and placing individuals on a level playing field so they could succeed. I also consider myself fortunate to have been able to influence change in UK and Welsh governments, and local authorities through ELITE’s work with disabled people. There’s great job satisfaction seeing politicians embrace supported employment and watching it built into policies and programs.”

 In March 2025 ELITE joined the Fedcap family in a strategic combination to expand employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities and continue Andrea’s legacy.