An afternoon in Parliament
Mark Trinick
CEO | eSuite | eTrackr | eSpirALS | eSignUp | LSEC Governor | Chair Curriculum & Standards Committee at LSEC & LSEEG | Passionate about FE and education
I was delighted to spend yesterday afternoon mixing with the great and good of Further Education at the House of Commons. I was there wearing two hats: as CEO of VLE Support Ltd but also as a Governor of LSEC.
Every year, the Association of Colleges (AoC) hold a Summer Parliamentary Reception and this years’ was hosted by Peter Kyle MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Further Education and Lifelong Learning. I was pleased to be able to join about 200 other representatives of our sector in the Terrace Marquee.
As well as being a great opportunity to mingle, the event is when the AoC will usually launch their annual publication showcasing the brilliant work of staff and students from across the country. This years’ is called “Shaping Communities” focusing on the social impact of Further Education. (You can read it here: https://www.aoc.co.uk/system/files/Shaping%20Communities.pdf)
We were pleased to hear from a number of speakers, including Dr Philip Augar reflecting on the opportunity the Post-18 Education Review could be, and AoC Chief Exec, David Hughes, commenting on how pleasantly weird it is when everyone is using the same words about FE, finally!
Speaking as the event host, Peter Kyle MP thanked colleges for their passion, saying "I know that behind every face here there are thousands of lives that have been transformed." How true.
Although All-Party Parliamentary Groups have no official status in Parliament, they are an opportunity for members of all parties to come together informally to share ideas, advise government and – potentially - lobby for change. In this respect, it is true to say that Peter and his Group colleagues have done their bit to promote the interests of the further education, adult learning and skills sectors in the corridors of Westminster.
On a personal note, it was good to see a number of Principals and College representatives who have become happy customers over the years. And it was equally good to catch up before the long summer break with a few who we have yet to convert into customers!
My thanks to AoC for the invite; I am proud that we are able to support our hard-working sector and to have this recognised with an invitation.