Written - The Review of Further Education Governance in Wales

In May 2010 I announced my intention to establish a Task and Finish Group to undertake an independent review into the governance arrangements of further education institutions (FEIs) in Wales.  I was also pleased to announce that Rob Humphreys, Director of the Open University (Wales), had been appointed as the Chair of the group and to lead the review.  

The purpose of the review is to develop a model of governance that is responsive to the current and future needs of citizens, learners, employers and communities. It will respond to the aims of One Wales, specifically the intention to build on Promise and Performance and “to develop a system that is responsive to the needs of local communities, employers and the local and regional economy. A partnership approach will continue to provide the bedrock of our approach in this area”.

The review will also take account of the Assembly Government’s commitment to social enterprise and co-operative solutions to service delivery.  In the current economic climate these solutions and approaches have become more, rather than less, important.  As mentioned previously, the review will look at the breadth of social enterprise models here in Wales and beyond, to see how they might enable the further education sector to continue to meet the needs of citizens and key stakeholders.

The review will require a thorough, rigorous and analytical consideration of the purpose, underpinning principles, and operational framework of the current systems of governance in further education.  It will need to identify who are the current and future legitimate stakeholders of FEIs, by looking at the balance of work they now carry out and their capacity to continue to widen the curriculum on offer to young people to contribute to the success of our Learning and Skills Measure.

As such, a wide range of experience, abilities and competencies is required for this Task and Finish Group together with a high level of knowledge in the following areas:

• the purpose of further education corporations
• the relationship between further education corporations and other learning organisations
• the role of lifelong learning
• the role of governance
• the requirements of, and role of employers
• the requirements of, and role of industry, including at a national level
• the needs of citizens and local communities
• the purpose and benefits of social enterprises and co-operatives
• understanding of trade union related issues

The members have been carefully selected to ensure expertise in the field of education is complemented with expertise in other areas such as industry, community and the economy.  To ensure the Task and Finish Group has the right balance in all of the necessary fields I have increased the number of appointees from seven to eight.

I am now pleased to announce the following appointments to the Task and Finish Group:

Lis Burnett
Head of the Social Entrepreneurial Hub, University of Glamorgan

Maggi Dawson MBE
General Secretary/ Chief Executive, Workers Educational Association (South Wales)

Roger Evans MBE
Chair of the Welsh Manufacturing Forum and Vice Chair of Governors of Coleg Sir Gâr

Duncan Forbes
Chief Executive of Bron Afon Community Housing Association

David Jenkins MBE
Former General Secretary of the Wales Trade Union Congress

Alison Itani
Director of Wiltan Ltd and member of the Wales Employment and Skills Board

Ioan Morgan CBE
Principal of Warwickshire College (retiring in August 2010) and former member of the UK Commission on Employment and Skills

Professor Stephen Yeo
Former Principal of Ruskin College, Oxford, and former Chair of the Co-operative College

This high calibre Task and Finish Group has, under the leadership of the Chair, the necessary breadth of experience and knowledge to drive forward this review.  

I wish the Task and Finish Group well in developing a governance system for FEIs that will help us to rise to the educational and economical challenges we will face in the future, and will build on the sector’s achievements since incorporation.

The review will be established before the summer recess and the Chair will report on recommendations by the end of this year.