Confidence, optimism and ambition. These were the characteristics that David Hughes wanted to witness during the Association of Colleges’ (AoC) conference last week - his first at the helm of the organisation.
It was a big ask, but it’s hard not to conclude that this was exactly what we saw. “Colleges are the key to a successful economy, especially as we leave the EU,” he told delegates in his opening speech.
And the most encouraging sign of all was that there appeared to be many similarities between the messages conveyed by college leaders and the ministers with the sector’s future in their hands.
The sense of positivity was captured succinctly by apprenticeships and skills minister Robert Halfon when he told the conference: “Far from talking down our colleges, we should be celebrating our FE sector, celebrating our principals, governors, teachers and students.”
The contrast with the terse message delivered by his predecessor Nick Boles last year was stark.
‘Absolutely critical’
Even more significant was the fact that Justine Greening also addressed delegates on the final morning of the conference, making her the first education secretary to actually bother turning up since David Blunkett back in 2000.
She stressed the “absolutely critical” importance of FE - and her insistence that the “skills agenda is far too important to be kicked around like a political football” was as surprising as it was welcome.
Of course, warm words are one thing; a properly resourced and supported FE sector left to get on with what it does best is quite another. But expression of political support is a good start. Now, the challenge for the sector is to prove it is worthy of the faith being put in it.
For many who woke up on the morning after the EU referendum with a profound sense of shock and foreboding, it was hard to imagine that anything good would come from Brexit. But, whether it be by fluke or design, the sector seems to have found itself at the centre of the political agenda, under ministers who appear to demonstrate an instinctive understanding and appreciation of what it does.
It’s down to FE providers to make sure that they capitalise on this opportunity. If they don’t, it’s unlikely to come again.
@stephenexley
