Digital Transformation Roadmap: travelling in the right direction

I have recently taken part in some really interesting workshops run by the Association of Colleges (AoC) and Ufi VocTech Trust (Ufi) to develop a digital transformation framework for the further education (FE) sector. 

This collaboration has led to meaningful discussion around the key drivers of digital transformation, and more importantly, has allowed the sector to shape its own development and maintain high aspirations. The result is a plan – or “roadmap” – which colleges can use to assess how they are using digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to transform processes, student and staff experiences, and of course, to enhance teaching and learning. 

The roadmap aligns with the broader digital elevation and capability work led by Jisc and others, allowing existing activity in this space to serve as evidence against the six pillars of the roadmap.

1.    Leadership, culture and governance 
2.    Student experience 
3.    Staff experience 
4.    Curriculum development 
5.    Underpinning technologies 

At Milton Keynes College Group, the roadmap has arrived at exactly the right time. Alongside being awarded digital technologies technical excellence college (TEC) status by the government, we are about to launch MK College Group’s new five-year strategy, with digital positioned as a key enabler to support our new strategic aims, backed up by a refreshed digital strategy. Having early sight of the roadmap has enabled us to self-assess and strategically prioritise key areas.

The roadmap is a list of initiatives written without jargon which can guide colleges through a stepped process from foundation to transform to elevate. It can be used at any stage of the transformation and gives a clear starting point for those looking to develop in this area.

MK College Group has a well-established Digital Transformation Group made up of three different sub-groups: digital pedagogy, systems and security and data. AI runs through every sub-group, and all development must reference and underpin the teaching and learning strategy, information security standard 270001 and cyber essentials as well as the overall MK College Group strategy. 

The roadmap is particularly powerful in bringing together all aspects of digital and vocational technology, which may (as is in our college) currently take different forms and be used in different ways in different departments.   

Much like the FE sustainability roadmap, this initiative will allow digital transformation, quite rightly, to be front and centre and help college leaders understand its intentions and direction. 

The UK government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, launched in 2025, recognises the critical role FE must play in developing the digital and technical skills needed for growth. This is reinforced through national reforms and initiatives including Skills England, local skills improvement plans (LSIPs), skills bootcamps and T Levels, all of which strengthen the link between the education and training colleges offer and labour-market need. 

Alongside this, the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan and the Digital Inclusion Action Plan (First Steps) underline the importance of building capability, improving access and helping more people to participate confidently in a digital society. Ensuring FE is itself digitally mature through our own knowledge, skills, governance and innovation is therefore essential, and the roadmap provides a practical mechanism for colleges to evidence progress and work collectively across the sector.

Our involvement in the shaping of the AoC’s digital roadmap has been a very valuable experience.  It's reinforced that we’re on the right track with our digital transformation, helped us to unify the approach of all of the areas involved in digital across the College and has been well-timed with developments both within the MK College Group and more broadly with what is happening in the FE sector. But we’re not done yet; we'll continue to prioritise digital across the MK College Group, to ensure that we can provide the best possible learning experiences for our learners in the years to come.

Penny Langford, Executive Head of Digital, Milton Keynes Colleges Group

You can view the roadmap here, and you can read more about the AoC and UfI VocTech Trust partnership here.