New dawn for AoC Annual Conference

For as long as I can remember, the Association of Colleges (AoC) Annual Conference has been run over three days, but this year will be different. We’re making a major change in response to strong feedback; this year’s conference will be two days rather than three. So, the same high-quality content in a more condensed package. There will be the same opportunities to network, hear about the latest developments in the further education (FE) sector from high profile speakers and celebrate the success of colleges and students in our awards. Whether you are a principal, chair, governor or a senior manager, the conference will continue to be the must-attend event for the sector. The dates are set for Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 November at the ICC in Birmingham. Colleges are dedicated to succeeding and progressing in the future landscape and remain at the heart of local community and the national economy. Colleges mean business, and that will continue to be our theme for the conference this year. We will use the conference to focus on our seven priorities. Funding, apprenticeships, mental health and wellbeing are topics that will be on the forefront of our discussion. The challenges in the FE sector are still tough, but there are new opportunities which we need to help shape. The Chancellor announcing investment of £500 million per year for technical education in his Spring Budget is a good example. By November, the new apprenticeships levy and associated reforms will be well underway, new Institutes of Technology will have been announced and we’ll be fully into another academic year. There will be plenty to discuss and learn about. Changing the duration of the conference is only a part of a number of other changes we will be making in line with feedback we received from our members. I look forward to seeing you there this November. The conference is open for booking now, simply follow the instruction on the website www.aocannualconference.co.uk