Association of Colleges
AoC welcomes Lord Lingfield's review into professionalism in FE
23 October 2012
Lord Lingfield's review into raising standards and professionalism in the further education sector has been launched by Skills Minister Matthew Hancock.
Martin Doel, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, said: “Lord Lingfield’s review is a welcome acknowledgement of a mature sector ready to be freed from over-regulation; a sector with a vested interest in the continuous improvement of its workforce for the benefit of both staff and students. This report reinforces the autonomy of colleges, embodied in the proposals for an FE Covenant, a Guild and Charter status, which could be a prelude to a more proportionate and appropriate means of building and sustaining excellence in colleges.
“AoC welcomes the support for the creation of a further education Guild and a covenant which would see the sector take responsibility for the further professionalisation of the workforce, both in terms of qualifications and continuing professional development, leading to added value for students, businesses, local communities and the wider economy. However, if the full potential of such an approach is to be realised, it will be imperative that any body which oversees the process is closely aligned to the employers of FE staff. The suggestion in the report that this is overseen by peer reviewed self-assessment along the lines already familiar in universities is worthy of further discussion. We look forward to working with government and its agencies to bring this to fruition.”
View all news
