Mike Coles worked in the chemical industry and was a chemistry teacher in schools before becoming involved in national educational developments in the UK. Currently he researches in the field of qualifications and skills at the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in London. His research interests are qualifications systems, frameworks, credit systems and impact evaluation. Currently he is working on UK indicators for measuring the impact of VET reforms across the UK countries and supporting work on the new qualifications and credit framework in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Mike has worked with international organisations on qualifications systems (OECD, EU and the G8 countries). He was research adviser to the OECD on qualifications s systems and is the main author of the book Qualifications systems: bridges to lifelong learning. Mike Coles was adviser to the European Commission on the development of a European Qualifications Framework and is also advising on aspects of implementation through the work of the Peer Learning Cluster on the recognition of learning outcomes. Mike also co-drafted the CEDEFOP publication on European Guidelines for the validation of informal learning which is based on the deliberations of the Cluster. There is strong policy development relating to NQFs in eastern Europe and Mike is currently working with the European Training Foundation in the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Central Asia and the Caucasus countries and is editing of a book on NQF development in 20 partner countries of the EU.