FE Governor

South Devon College is a successful £38 million general Further and Higher Education College, with the main campus located at the heart of the local community in Torbay. Every year the College helps 8,000 to 10,000 individuals of all ages from across South Devon achieve their ambitions and progress through education and employment. 70% of learners live in Torbay and the remaining 30% in Teignbridge and South Hams.

As a key local provider of Further and Higher Education with its own Foundation Degree Awarding Powers since 2019, and one of only three colleges nationally to secure TEF Gold overall and for both Student Experience and Student Outcomes for its University Centre, the College is an important anchor institution for Torbay, South Devon and the wider region. The College also holds a ‘Good’ overall Ofsted rating with an ‘Outstanding’ rating for Education Programmes for Young People (including High School), Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development and High Needs.

The College is regarded as an integral partner for people, place, and productivity by facilitating long term growth and prosperity in South Devon and more widely. This role has never been more vital to ensure successful economic improvement in the region and sub-region. The College is supporting key national, regional and local partners as well as directly supporting businesses and individuals with new opportunities to retrain and upskill, creating an impact which will contribute to closing skills and productivity gaps.

South Devon College actively supports the development of the local, regional and national workforce need in a number of key sectors including construction, health, care & nursing professions, electronics & photonics, advanced manufacturing, engineering including marine and, importantly for their region, tourism and hospitality. The College develops and co-designs curriculum in partnership with employers and wider education partners to meet local and regional demand. In doing so, it has developed a unique national reputation for specialist expertise and high quality in many sectors.

Whilst the College is considering its long-term strategy based around Quality, Growth and Efficiency, the short-term focus for the Board is on strategic financial oversight to support the long-term stability of the College. Existing governors are united in their approach to providing clear strategic direction to support and challenge College leaders. Longer term plans will include sustainable and managed growth whilst maintaining outstanding quality. New governors will play a pivotal role in this.

The College’s requirements

The College’s requirements

The college corporation board at South Devon College is seeking up to three new governors, with two of the recruits also sitting on the People and Resources (Finance) Committee and one governor sitting on the Audit Committee. Successful volunteers will bring senior experience in either finance or risk and audit settings.

Successful applicants to the People and Resources (Finance) Committee will hold recent C-Suite, senior leadership experience in a financial management role.

The successful applicant to the Audit Committee will hold extensive audit experience, including a relevant professional qualification. This may be gained in the private sector or a consultancy background.

Any pre-existing education governance experience, including within the FE sector, is desirable; however a full training package and induction is provided, and this is not an essential requirement of the role.

Critically, incoming governors will be committed and motivated to have an impact on the College and its learners from the outset, with an understanding of the requirements of the role of an FE governor. As part of the application process, candidates are invited to complete the eLearning module linked below to ensure clarity of understanding about the role of FE governor in general, the context and other key details to help secure comprehension and appreciation of the role requirements. Experience in risk management is desirable also and will further support involvement in committee meetings.

The time commitment and meeting schedule

On average over a year governors commit about two days a month to effectively contribute to their role, including meeting, preparation, committee involvements and any on-site visits. In this instance, the SDC board estimates that governors volunteer a total of 60-80 hours per year to their role. Every college is different, with changing expectations on time and commitment and we encourage prospective candidates to discuss their availability through the application process. All board and committee meetings are held on Thursdays.

Three FGB corporation meetings take place each year (in December, March, July, 4pm-6pm). There are two in-person strategy days each year in October and May.

The People and Resources (Finance) Committee meets three times a year and these meetings can take place online if necessary (November, March and June, 12pm-2pm).

The Audit Committee meets four times a year and these meetings can also take place online if necessary (in September, November, March and June, 10am-12pm). Audit Committee meetings are preceded by an optional training session, available to all governors (9:30am-10am).

All meetings take place at Vantage Point, Long Road, Paignton, TQ2 7EJ.

If you are a motivated individual with significant experience in finance or audit functions and are keen to hit the ground running with both short-and long-term goals in mind, then we look forward to hearing from you regarding this exciting opportunity.

Skills

• Finance
• Strategic Leadership
• Address:Vantage Point, Long Road, Paignton, TQ2 7EJ

Governors work together as a board to provide strategic leadership, ensuring the college corporation is legally compliant, financially sustainable, and delivers excellent value for public funds. FE college corporations operate as independent charitable institutions, with governors acting as charity trustees and the governing board are ultimately accountable for overall performance.The principal regulator of FE college corporations is the Secretary of State for Education, and the Department for Education (DfE) works closely with the FE Commissioner and sector stakeholders to both regulate and support FE governance. Where needed, support is provided by the Commissioner’s team of advisers and National Leaders of Governance for FE, who offer peer-led mentoring. To read further about regulation, support and intervention please refer to the FE and sixth-form college corporations: governance guide, linked within the further reading below.

What are the benefits?

Volunteering on a college corporation board is a meaningful way to shape learners’ lives and strengthen education in your community. You will play a vital role in setting strategic direction and holding executive leaders to account — ensuring the College delivers the best outcomes. This is a great opportunity to support your career development and give back to education.

Further information:

You can also find out more public information about the college on the Get Information About Schools Page: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Search?SelectedTab=Groups.South Devon College reference number is 130648.After applying you can access our free eLearning ‘An Introduction to Further Education Governance’ in preparation for a role: https://governorsforschools.org.uk/fe/the-role-of-a-further-education-governor/.The Department for Education (DfE) has produced a guide for governors in FE settings. This gives more detail about how governance should look and what the role and remit of governors in this setting will be. View links to this guide and further reading: https://governorsforschools.org.uk/fe/recommended-fe-reading/If you have any questions before applying, please contact our FE Recruitment Team at fegovernorrecruitment@governorsforschools.org.uk.

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