I’ve always been a big fan of keeping things simple. Working in the world of policy wonks and politicians, all too often I hear people doing the opposite.

“It’s too complex to summarise” is not a phrase you’d ever hear from my lips because writing a report or a thesis about a subject shows some skills but being able to write the summary is the hard bit.

Editing down that summary into a few sentences or a simple story is even harder but this is at the heart of being able to communicate and being able to influence - two of the central roles of the Association of Colleges (AoC).

As I write this, I’m on my way to spend a few hours with the governing body of a college, sitting on another train, thinking about the events of the past few weeks and what might happen over the coming year or two.

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I enjoy the sessions I do with governing bodies, sharing my insights into the national policy scene, speculating about the prospects for colleges, explaining our tactics and strategies at AoC and seeking feedback and ideas. I’m sure that I learn as much as they do, and I always come away inspired and excited about the roles that colleges play in our society.

I worry, though, about the story that the board members take away from our discussions. Telling the facts about colleges over the past decade is depressing and no college governing body needs me to tell them how tough financially it is for colleges this year and next.

With a 30 per cent overall reduction in income, the college sector has had it harder than any other part of the education system.

With the new insolvency regime in place, the risks for board members feel extremely acute, especially with funding rates stuck with no inflationary increases for many years. The financial viability of colleges is as hard as it has ever been.

‘A decade of austerity for colleges’

Those facts about the past are important to acknowledge because colleges have been battling the implications for years.

They have done an amazing job to stay viable but have had to do it through losing thousands of staff, reducing teaching hours, cutting support staff, merging and making incredible efficiencies. Most have also had to reduce their spending on estates, maintenance, equipment, technology.

Many have had to operate on a break-even or even sometimes deficit budgets, starving them of the ability to invest for growth, quality, innovation and partnership. A bleak picture after a decade of austerity.

The story is not so bleak, though, because, despite years of deprivation, colleges are still delivering great education, training and skills to over 2 million people every year.

‘Immense uncertainty’ 

Every single one of them has a story of their own to tell about how college has helped them to achieve, to learn, to progress. If you’re in any doubt about the impact colleges have or about their resilience and vibrancy, then take a look at some of these videos which showcase the diversity, quality and breadth of the sector.

So, to put it simply: colleges have had a tough decade but are still managing to deliver great things. So far, so good. What about the future? What are the prospects for colleges over the next decade?

It’s probably on this part of the presentation that AoC members are expecting to get their money’s worth. It’s also difficult, given the immense uncertainty caused by the unprecedented political moment we are living through.

Brexit, even more than the election of Trump, has defied political forecasters and made looking forward even more of a lottery than ever before.

Colleges’ vital role is better understood

Forecasting the future is a fool’s game. Trying to influence the future is not. So, an important part of the story I will tell this afternoon is about the campaigning we have done and the positioning and profile-raising we have achieved.

In the past couple of years, we have, collectively, opened the eyes of all sorts of influential advocates to the need to invest more in colleges. The vital role of colleges is now better understood and accepted.

The chancellor of the exchequer, in his spring statement, made clear he will make technical education and skills a priority, and the education secretary has stated publicly that “colleges are our national infrastructure for technical education”.

Not a bad starting point as their officials lock horns at the start of the spending review negotiations.

Augar review 

Those assertions guarantee nothing, of course, but it means colleges are in a better place than prior to any of the spending reviews of the past decade and more.

The government’s own post-18 review of education and funding will report “shortly” and land at a time when the political focus has shifted substantially.

For as long as most of us can remember, universities were the golden stars of education and colleges the forgotten heroes.

That has changed in the minds of the electorate, for politicians and for policymakers. The spending review should confirm that, with more hope now amongst colleges principals for investment than amongst beleaguered university vice-chancellors. That’s the story I’ll tell. I just wish I had a crystal ball to be certain.

David Hughes is the chief executive of the Association of Colleges