157 Group publishes leadership of locality case studies
24th June 2010
For immediate release: Thursday 24 June 2010
157 Group publishes leadership of locality case studies
The 157 Group has published a set of case studies describing the leadership roles that six of its member colleges play in their localities, bringing together providers and key agencies to determine the pattern of education and training in their areas, participate actively in the policymaking process; and secure better services and outcomes for their learners, businesses and local communities.
Lynne Sedgmore CBE, executive director of the 157 Group, said, "As the largest and most influential further education colleges in England, our 28 members play a leading role in delivering education in their localities. They are accustomed to working with universities, schools, voluntary organisations, local authorities and other bodies to ensure that young people and adult learners of all ages have access to the high-quality education and training they need.
"The influence of these colleges extends beyond the narrow confines of education and training, to wider social and economic issues - community cohesion, employability, social mobility, inclusion, participation, crime prevention and health. We believe that with more autonomy and flexibility, colleges can make an even greater contribution to the leadership of their local area, helping provide better value for money in local services tailored to local and individual needs."
Frank McLoughlin CBE, chair of the 157 Group and principal of City and Islington College, said, "Our recently published policy paper, Learning and skills needs local leadership, offered powerful arguments for decentralising the planning arrangements for further education and increasing accountability to local communities. These case studies demonstrate the incredibly positive contribution that colleges make in their local areas, using innovative approaches to ensure effective outcomes for learners, employers and communities.
"At a time when we are all being asked to do more for less, we hope that colleges will be given more real freedoms to play a leading role in collaborative arrangements that deliver better services and achieve greater value for money."
The case studies were launched at the Future of Further Education conference in London on Thursday 24 June 2010.
NOTES TO EDITORS
The six case studies feature:
- More case studies can be viewed here.
About the 157 Group
The 157 Group represents 28 of the most influential colleges in the FE sector. It was formed in 2006 in response to paragraph 157 of Sir Andrew Foster's report on the future of further education colleges, in which he argued that principals of large successful colleges should play a greater role in policymaking.
CONTACT
Lindsay Baugh 01707 392 552 or 07736 246 697
Email lindsay.baugh@howardsgate.co.uk
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