1. AoC London Region Members’ Bulletin
6 January 2012 Issue 106
Feedback from Principals’ meeting with Munira Mirza, 12 December 2011
A small group of London Principals met with Munira Mirza, the Mayoral Advisor on Culture
and Youth on 12 December 2011. It was a positive meeting and the GLA were much more
receptive to FE’s needs.
FE Guide: The GLA agreed to make a decision on the proposed “FE Guide” by the early part of
2012. At the meeting they accepted that it was difficult to make relevant comparisons and
didn’t want to duplicate efforts. They appeared to want to work with Colleges on a suitable
compromise. AoC London Region will keep you updated on developments.
London Enterprise Panel update: There was a presentation on the forthcoming LEP. Ian
Ashman, on behalf of all Colleges, welcomed the invitation for Colleges to be part of a skills
and employment sub-group of the Panel should such a group be decided upon by the full
Panel. See below for a copy of a letter received by Ian from Harvey McGrath, Co-Chair, LEP
Advisory Panel.
Youth Unemployment Patterns: A number of actions followed this update including the GLA
to set up a working group with London Councils and College representatives to focus on IAG.
The Mayor’s role in pre-16 education: Munira Mirza gave an overview of the Mayor’s role in
pre-16 education. This included the Mayor’s Education Inquiry. (Note: Laraine Smith,
Principal of Uxbridge College, was appointed to be a member of the Inquiry Panel – see item
below).
The meeting also discussed Higher Education in FE, International Recruitment in FE and the
London Colleges Manifesto. Full minutes were taken by the GLA officer and will be circulated
shortly.
AoC London Principals’ Forum – 12 January
The next AoC London Principals’ Forum is due to take place on Thursday 12 January, 3pm-5pm
at Hackney Community College.
A copy of the full agenda can be accessed here: http://tiny.cc/8o1jl. Please note that you will
be required to sign in with your AoC username and password to view the paper.
Register for the event here.

2. AoC London Region Members’ Bulletin, 6 January 2012
New Year Honours 2012
Martin Doel, AoC Chief Executive, said: "Congratulations to all the College staff and governors,
past and present, who have been honoured today. Their presence in the New Year Honours list
is a tribute to their positive and lasting impact on further education and, in turn, Colleges'
contribution to the social and economic welfare of the UK."
OBE
Richard Wedlake Chambers, formerly Principal, Lambeth College
MBE
Michael Bonsier, Chair, Coulsdon Sixth Form College
Malcolm Ross Parkinson, Chair, Capel Manor College
Carole Stott, Chair, City Literary Institute
London Mayor’s Education Inquiry
As mentioned above, Laraine Smith has been appointed to be a member of the Mayor’s
Education Inquiry, chaired by Dr Tony Sewell. The Inquiry will examine key challenges for
education in London and develop recommendations for practical action with key partners
including the boroughs, schools, policy-makers and others.
Further information about the scope of the Inquiry and membership of the Panel can be found
at the following links:
http://www.london.gov.uk/who-runs-london/mayor/mayoral-decisions/md905
http://www.london.gov.uk/who-runs-london/mayor/mayoral-decisions/md925
Kate Anderson is meeting Caroline Boswell of the Panel’s secretariat with Mary Vine-Morris,
London Councils (who are supporting the Inquiry), on Monday 9 January to agree the best way
of consulting Colleges on the work of the Inquiry. She will also discuss feedback mechanisms
with Laraine to keep members briefed on the progress of the Inquiry.
London Colleges’ Role in the London Enterprise Panel
As mentioned above in the item about the meeting with Munira Mirza, it seems FE will be
invited to be part of a LEP employment and skills sub-group if the Panel agrees. Please see
attached the response to Ian Ashman, Principal, Hackney Community College, from Harvey
McGrath.
London Region Post 14 network strategy group meeting: feedback from
Jacqui Mace, Principal, Stanmore College, who attended the meeting
This was held on 8 November following a very successful conference on a “Vision for London”
for young people. There were some very good, high profile speakers, interesting workshops
and just the kind of debate that we, as leaders of London’s Colleges, should be getting involved
in.
At the strategy meeting they discussed the declining membership of the network – perhaps not
surprising in these straitened times but something we wish to reverse nonetheless.
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3. AoC London Region Members’ Bulletin, 6 January 2012
This is London’s premier 14+ network and it provides the opportunity to participate in
discussion with schools, academies, local authorities, HE, researchers and politicians as well as
other Colleges. We urge you all to join. If you are not sure whether your College is already a
member, please email Barbara Gougoulis at b.gougoulis@ioe.ac.uk and she will let you know!
At the strategy meeting they discussed the idea of an internal recalibration of the network to
make it even more relevant to the changing needs of the post 14 world and we also reviewed
the programme for the year which ranges from full day conferences to open lectures and
research seminars. We discussed the idea of a London College hosting a conference which
would be co-designed with College staff. The College representatives on the group asked for
more provision for professional development in teaching and learning using the considerable
resources of the Institute and the meeting ended with an update on the Centre for Post-14
Research and Innovation which is led by Ann Hodgson and Ken Spours. The Centre is
working with IfL around CPD, on the idea of 14+ Progression and Transaction Boards and on
three pieces of specific research.
WorldSkills UK 2012
Get Involved In WorldSkills UK Competitions
From January 2012 entries for the next round of national competitions are open
Why not try WorldSkill’s Pre-competition activities before you get started? From fun Have a Go
activities in your area to Running your Own competitions, there’s bound to be something to
interest you and help prepare future competitors.
Skills competitions are a great way to boost professional skills and get them noticed so
remember to check the WorldSkills UK pages regularly to keep up to date with competition
news and events in your area and across the UK. The deadline for entry is end of March 2012.
WorldSkills/London Region Champions Group
We are pleased to announce that Sue Rimmer, Principal, South Thames College, has agreed to
take over from Vicki Fagg as London Regional Champion for WorldSkills. Sue has been Area
Champion for the last 3 years and is a total enthusiast for the WorldSkills event and associated
activities. A meeting of the London Region Champions Group is being arranged and feedback
from the meeting will be shared with you in due course.
National Apprenticeship Week 2012
The Week will celebrate and showcase the talent and skills of apprentices, across England from
Monday 6 to Friday 10 February. The information below comes from NAS.
THE HUB
We have created a ‘Hub’ of resources on our website that can be used to help you support the
Week. It can be accessed here.
ACTIVITY FORM
If you are planning any activities for the Week, please complete our Activity Form and return it
to theweek@apprenticeships.gov.uk
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4. AoC London Region Members’ Bulletin, 6 January 2012
NAS will use this information to populate the events calendar on apprenticeships.org.uk and
possibly use it in PR with the local or national media. Click here to download the activity form.
There are a number of ways you can lend your support. As well as organising an event, you
might also want to consider supporting the following national and social media activities:
WE’RE WITH APPRENTICESHIPS BECAUSE…
We are collating material (quotes, case studies and video footage) from Apprenticeship
employers and apprentices to explain why they are “with Apprenticeships” – describing the
benefits and value that Apprenticeships have brought to the business/individual. These will be
showcased on our website and other Apprenticeship channels. Please add your materials to
our template form and email to theweek@apprenticeships.gov.uk
APPRENTICESHIP HALL OF FAME
Did your Managing Director or Chief Executive start their career as an apprentice? Or do you
know an award winning former apprentice whose career has gone on to flourish? Or even a
celebrity who started out as an apprentice? If so, they could be ideal candidates for our online
Hall of Fame, which will showcase the rise and accomplishments of England’s most successful
apprentices.
Please supply a biography and photo from the individual you would like to nominate for the
Hall of Fame that tells their career progression story. Please add your biography to our
template form and e-mail to theweek@apprenticeships.gov.uk.
CALLING ALL TWEETERS AND FACEBOOK USERS
Please follow us on Twitter @apprenticeships or join our fan page on Facebook
www.facebook.com/apprenticeships, to keep up to date with the latest Apprenticeship Week
news and activities. If you promote any activities on Twitter, please make sure you include the
hash tag #NAW2012 so that we can pick it up and re-tweet as much as possible.
CONTACT DETAILS
If you have any further queries about National Apprenticeship Week you can contact a
divisional NAS lead. Contact details can be found here.
Work Programme update
AoC London is approached regularly by organisations seeking to be put in touch with the
College network in London. We use our discretion in deciding how to respond to them. We
were approached towards the end of last year by Andrew Hooper of Training Associates
(Surrey) about forming links with Colleges to deliver the Work Programme. His message is
included here in case you would find the services of his organisation helpful. It does not mean
that we are recommending them and we will provide information about other such
organisations in future if they contact us and if you indicate that you would find this helpful.
It’s now six months since the Work Programme became operational and the ‘Prime’ contractors
have been experiencing higher than expected demand across both London and the South East.
A significant proportion of clients being referred to the Work Programme are needing training
to help them get back to work, some of which is generic employability and some more
vocationally specific. The Primes are working with a number of training organisations to help
meet these training needs but one organisation they have favoured in particular is Training
Associates (Surrey).
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5. AoC London Region Members’ Bulletin, 6 January 2012
Training Associates is a private provider that has specialised in working with unemployed
people since its establishment in 2003 and has grown to become Ufi’s fifth largest delivery
partner in the country. The company has established links with all the Primes operating in
London and the South East and is now seen as the partner of choice for the delivery of
employability skills training to Work Programme clients by many of the Primes. Provision has
grown to some 400 learners a month across the London region – a figure that could easily
double in the coming months.
Training Associates is seeking to establish partnerships with Colleges a) to fund the provision
and b) to ensure that in all areas of the region it is possible to refer clients to more specific
vocational training once their basic employability skills training has been provided by Training
Associates.
If you would like to know more about how the programme could help to meet College
objectives and support unemployed people in your catchment area, please contact Andrew
Hooper in the first instance: ahooper@tasouth.co.uk or 0741468 7385.
The National Career Guidance Show – 7 & 8 March 2012
Free to visit, The National Career Guidance Show gives visitors:
Popular and relevant seminars all CPD certified by the Institute of Career Guidance
Over 70 organisations offering the latest careers resources and information from a range
of industries
A chance to network and share best practice with colleagues from across the UK
Book now at: www.nationalcareerguidanceshow.com
Student Success Stories of the Fortnight
HRH The Countess of Wessex Opens New IT & Media Block at Uxbridge College
Uxbridge College’s new £5m IT & Media Block was officially opened by HRH The Countess of
Wessex GCVO on December 13. Her Royal Highness declared the block open by using a
clapper board – a reference to the function of the new
facility – at the entrance.
After the official opening, Her Royal Highness toured the
facility in Park Road including visiting classrooms and
studios where she met students and saw their work.
During the event The Countess also met representatives
from the College and other guests including The Mayor
of Hillingdon Councillor Mary O’Connor and student
governor Terry Howard. Guests at the opening included
officials from Hillingdon Council, business and
community representatives, and college staff and
Governors. Photo credit: Uxbridge College
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6. AoC London Region Members’ Bulletin, 6 January 2012
Recent meetings
Date Event/meeting Attendees Feedback
12 Dec Principals meeting JS Agenda included discussion on:
with Munira Mirza,
GLA Youth Unemployment Patterns
London Colleges manifesto
Higher Education in FE
International Recruitment & FE
London Enterprise Panel Update
13 Dec Meeting with Mark KA Regular catch up meeting
Hilton, London First
15 Dec Meeting with Sue KA Regular catch up meeting
Betts, Linking
London
15 Dec Meeting with Mary KA Regular catch up meeting
Vine-Morris, London
Councils
5 Jan Meeting with Joy KA AoC/GLA meeting to discuss ESOL
Mercer, Ian Ashman,
Hackney
Community College
and James Lee, GLA
Future meetings
Date Event/meeting Attendees Agenda
6 Jan AoC and London & KA Agenda includes:
Partners meeting A brief overview of London Colleges’
international work, Ealing, Hammersmith and
West London College: London’s (and UK’s)
largest FE recruiter of international students,
2012 Olympics and Paralympics, and London
and Partners’ role in promoting London
institutions to international students
9 Jan Meeting with KA Further discussions on the Mayor's Education
Caroline Boswell, Inquiry
GLA and Mary Vine-
Morris, London
Councils
10 Jan Meeting with Abi KA Discussions on Worldskills presentation
Lammas, LSIS
12 Jan AoC London AoCLR Agenda includes:
Principals' Forum
YPLA briefing, Mike Pettifer
Key messages from SFA provider
briefing, Richard Bell
Access HE, Graeme Atherton
Stephen Evan’s report
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7. AoC London Region Members’ Bulletin, 6 January 2012
13 Jan Director's Strategy KA, JS Regular meeting
Meeting
19 Jan Strategic decision KA Agenda to be confirmed
making forum -
transitions to
adulthood
19 Jan Marketing Committee JS, RB Agenda to be confirmed
Meeting
Events and Dates for the Diary
 Linking London event: Improving Student Retention and Success - Wednesday 25th
January 2012, 2 - 5pm. Events are free to members of Linking London. For information
on how to join the network, or if you are unsure if your institution is in the network,
please email info@linkinglondon.ac.uk
 PYL Positive for Youth seminar 26 January 2012, 1.45pm to 4.30pm, at Mary Sumner
House, Westminster. The booking form and agenda can be found here:
http://www.partnershipforyounglondon.org.uk/events.php/710/pyl-positive-for-
youth
 AoC London Clerks’ network meeting: Friday 3 February, 2pm-5pm, AoC Offices,
Stedham Place. Please contact Judith Smyth for more information about this meeting:
judith.smyth@aoc.co.uk
 National Apprenticeships Week: Monday 6 February – Friday 10 February, London.
There is a ‘hub’ of information which can be accessed here.
 AoC London Heads of Student Services network meeting: Tuesday 7 February, 10am-
1pm, AoC Offices, Stedham Place. For more information please contact Rebecca Breen:
Rebecca.breen@aoc.co.uk
 AoC London International meeting: Tuesday 21 February, 3-5pm, Ealing, Hammersmith
and West London College. For more information please contact Rebecca Breen:
Rebecca.breen@aoc.co.uk
 AoC Shared Services conference: Wednesday 22 February, Maple House, Birmingham.
More information is available here: Shared Services AoC Conference
 AoC London Head of Sport network meeting: Thursday 23 February, 2.30-5pm, AoC
Offices, Stedham Place. For more information please contact Rebecca Breen:
Rebecca.breen@aoc.co.uk
 AoC Governance Summit 2012: 29 February 2012 in central London. Places will have to
be limited to three per College for the Principal, Chair, and Clerk, and the event will be
free to attend. For more information and to book your places, please visit
www.aoccreateevents.co.uk/governancesummit2012
 AoC London Finance Directors’ network meeting: Tuesday 6 March, 9am-1pm, Venue
tbc. For more information please contact Rebecca Breen: Rebecca.breen@aoc.co.uk
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8. AoC London Region Members’ Bulletin, 6 January 2012
 The National Careers Guidance Show South, 7 & 8 March 2012 Wembley Stadium,
London. The National Career Guidance Show gives career guidance professionals
working with both young people and adults a chance to network, learn and meet like-
minded colleagues; gain valuable insights and CPD at expert seminars.
 AoC London Regional Forum: Tuesday 13 March, 4-6pm, Venue tbc. For more
information please contact Rebecca Breen: Rebecca.breen@aoc.co.uk
Policy and other documents
GLA news
Olympic Park debt deal could mean revision of legacy plans, Assembly hears
Mayor looks ahead to 2012
Mayor unveils strategy to deliver thousands of new homes and jobs for London
Mayor calls on London businesses to help drive down youth unemployment in the capital
If you wish to contact the AoC London office to give feedback on this bulletin, to request
additional information where we have offered it, or to provide suggested content for future
issues, please email Rebecca Breen.
Kate Anderson Judith Smyth
Regional Director Executive Manager
kate.anderson@aoc.co.uk judith.smyth@aoc.co.uk
Rebecca Breen Cyheme Bilouta
Regional Coordinator Team Administrator (part-time)
rebecca.breen@aoc.co.uk cyheme.bilouta@aoc.co.uk
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