Robin Newton-Syms

Robin has worked within the education and skills sector for over 30 years. He undertook a number of successful reviews as part of the DfE pilot programme including a large multi-site college group and a more specialist institution. He has worked as Clerk to a GFE college and now serves as a governor at Myerscough College, a land-based, science, engineering and sports college in Lancashire.

Previously, he was Executive Director of The Lancashire Colleges (TLC), a role that he held on two occasions from 2005 until his retirement in 2019. TLC was established to support the work of FE Colleges in Lancashire and ensure they had a strong voice with local, regional and national officials and politicians. Under his leadership, it secured £23m of European and other funding between 2016 and 2019 and successfully acted on behalf of Lancashire’s colleges during the Area Review process. He undertook a similar role for the Greater Manchester Colleges on a part-time basis between 2011 and 2015.

He has held roles as Director of Corporate Strategy and Planning at Preston College and was the first National Director of Communications for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), prior to which he was Head of Communications of the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) after moving from positions in university, local government and the private sectors.

He is now also a magistrate sitting in the Family Court.