- About us
- About colleges
-
Corporate services
- Corporate services
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Data Protection/GDPR
-
Employment Services - college workforce
- Employment Services - college workforce
- Employment: How we support members
- Introduction & Employment Helpline
- Absence & Sickness Management
- Contracts and T&Cs
- Disciplinary, Capability & Grievance
- Employment Briefings Library
- Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
- General Employee Relations & HR Issues
- Holiday/annual leave related
- Industrial Relations
- ONS reclassification related guidance
- Pay & Pensions
- Recruitment
- Redundancy, Restructuring & TUPE
- Safeguarding/Prevent
- Workforce Benchmarking, Surveys & Research
- Governance
-
Projects
- Projects
- Get Involved!
- Projects: How we support members
- Resources
- The 5Rs Approach to GCSE Maths Resits
- Apprenticeship Workforce Development (AWD) Programme
- Creating a Greener London – Sustainable Construction Skills
- Erasmus+ EXPECT Project
- Digital Roles Across Non-digital Industries
- T Level and T Level Foundation Year Provider Support Programme
- The Valuing Enrichment Project
- Higher and Extended Project Qualifications
- OfS - Higher Education Social Prescribing Project
- Pears Foundation Youth Social Action Programme: Phase 2
- T Level Professional Development (TLPD) Offer
- T Level Curriculum Macro-Sequencing
- Contact the Projects Team
- DfE Multiply Capability Support Programme
- Creative Arts in FE 2024 – developing student voice through creativity
- Resources/Guidance
- Sustainability & Climate Action Hub
- Partnerships
- Honours Nomination
- Brexit
- Recruitment and consultancy
-
Events and training
- Events and training
- Events
- T Level & T Level Foundation Year Events
- Events and training: How we support members
- Network Meetings
- Annual Conference & Exhibition 2023 Resources
- Previous Events & Webinars
- In-House Training
- Senior Leadership Development Programme
- Introducing AoC's Early Career and Experienced Middle Managers Programme
- Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities
- Funding and finance
-
Policy
- Policy
- Meet the Policy Team
- Policy: How we support members
- Policy Areas
- Policy Briefings
- Submissions
- Policy Papers & Reports
- AoC Strategy Groups
-
AoC Reference Groups
- AoC Reference Groups
- Adults (inc. ESOL) Reference Group
- Apprenticeship Reference Group
- Technology Reference Group
- HE Reference Group
- 14-16 Reference Group
- Mental Health Reference Group
- 16-18 Reference Group
- SEND Reference Group
- WorldSkills Reference Group
- HR Reference Group
- Sustainability & Climate Change Reference Group
- EDI Reference Group
- Opportunity England
- Research unit
-
News, campaigns and parliament
- News, campaigns and parliament
- General and mayoral election resources
- Comms advice and resources for colleges
- AoC Newsroom
- AoC Blogs
- Work in Parliament
- AoC Campaigns
- Briefings
- Contact the Communications, Media, Marketing and Research Team
- Communications, media, marketing and research: How we support members
-
Equality, diversity and inclusion
- Equality, diversity and inclusion
- Equality, diversity and inclusion blogs
- AoC’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Charter
- Diversity in Leadership
- Black FE Leadership Group and AoC partnership agreement
- AoC's Equity Exchange
- Equality, diversity and inclusion: how we support members
- Equality, diversity and inclusion case studies
- Home
- News, campaigns and parliament
- AoC Blogs
- The importance of registration
The importance of registration
It’s now only three weeks until we go to the ballot box to vote in the EU referendum. If it’s at all possible, the media attention will only grow over the next 21 days. Ahead of this, though, there is another important date – 7 June – the final deadline for voter registration to enable you to take part in the referendum.
A referendum like this is a once in a generation opportunity and its result is likely to have a number of implications for the future of this country, whichever side wins.
Therefore, it is essential that everyone takes up their democratic right to vote. What you need to know however, is that the way we register to vote has changed. Previously, all you needed was the ‘head of the household’ – who would confirm the details of all eligible voters in that house. Now, however, each individual must register themselves, known as ‘Individual Electoral Registration’ (IER).
At the Association of Colleges, we have been working closely with the National Union of Students, Universities UK and the Cabinet Office to encourage young people to register to vote. Research suggests that this is the group of people least likely to be registered. Figures released by business group London First have shown that in the capital alone around 900,000 eligible voters, many of which will be young people, are missing from electoral register. These trends are likely to be similar across the country, potentially leaving millions without a say in this historic vote.
Registering is simple – it takes about five minutes to complete and you only need your address and National Insurance number. Simply go to www.gov.uk/register-to-vote and follow the instructions. If you’ve already registered, encourage others to do it too.
Colleges across the country have already been heavily involved in the referendum campaign, with many carrying out hustings and debates. It’s inspiring to see so many young people engaged in this important issue and hope that transfers through to them registering to vote.
The referendum has everyone talking. Are you in or are you out? If you want your voice to be heard, make sure you’re registered to vote.
Andrea Jones is the Head of Communications and Membership at the Association of Colleges.