Patrick Roach (born 1965) is a British trade unionist. Roach was born in

Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...

to parents who had immigrated from Jamaica. He hoped to become a schoolteacher but did not secure the grades to attend university, so went to

Matthew Boulton College Matthew may refer to: * Matthew (given name) * Matthew (surname) * ''Matthew'' (ship), the replica of the ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497 * ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith * Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Ch ...

. Obtaining higher grades, he was able to study education at the

University of Leicester , mottoeng = So that they may have life , established = , type = public research university , endowment = £20.0 million , budget = £326 million , chancellor = David Willetts , vice_chancellor = Nishan Canagarajah , head_labe ...

, before becoming a teacher in colleges of further education. He completed a doctorate in sociology at the

University of Warwick The University of Warwick ( ; abbreviated as ''Warw.'' in post-nominal letters) is a public research university on the outskirts of Coventry between the West Midlands (county), West Midlands and Warwickshire, England. The university was founded i ...

, then became a university lecturer in social policy. In 1998, Roach began working for the

NASUWT The NASUWT is a TUC-affiliated trade union representing teachers, including headteachers, throughout the United Kingdom. The early years 1919–1976; breakaway and the formation of a new union The origins of the NASUWT can be traced back to ...

union, which represents schoolteachers, then in 2010 became the union's deputy general secretary. From 2017, he also served on the

General Council of the Trades Union Congress The General Council of the Trades Union Congress is an elected body which is responsible for carrying out the policies agreed at the annual British Trade Union Congresses (TUC). Organisation The council has 56 members, all of whom must be proposed ...

. In 2020, he became the NASUWT general secretary without facing a contest, as no other candidate received enough nominations to stand.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roach, Patrick 1965 births Living people Alumni of the University of Leicester Alumni of the University of Warwick General Secretaries of NASUWT Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress People from Walsall