BLOG: by Unloc’s Managing Director Hayden Taylor
Over the past three years, my team and I have worked tirelessly to win the argument that students deserve a seat at the table of Governing Bodies of Further Education Colleges in England.
Further Education colleges educate and train over 2.2 million people every year and are an essential part of our communities in the UK. At the same time, I know first hand how student voice – when supported, empowered and given a platform – can have a transformative impact on decision making.
I fundamentally believe that students should be a part of shaping the education they receive, and at the same time, that governing bodies need more diverse voices.
We felt that student governors in Further Education had historically been under-supported and therefore their value was not fully realised around the Board table. We knew that despite their presence in most UK colleges’ governance structures, their potential to lead positive change had not been fully unlocked.
Little in the way of training, support and networks had been available to students across the country stepping into the often daunting role. In fact, I remember walking into my first Full Governors Meeting myself, aged 18, having been selected to be a Student Governor. Whilst I already had some experience of formal meetings, it was none-the-less petrifying to be amongst so many well-versed and experienced professionals.
I would’ve done anything at that moment to know I was not the only student governor feeling that way, and I would’ve so valued a network of support to build my confidence and knowledge in the role.
So, over the past three years, using that lived experience as fuel, my team and I have built an ecosystem of training, networking, leadership development and informal support to change that narrative.
We’ve constructed the National Student Governor Programme to raise the profile of, and empower, student governors in England to be effective young changemakers and policy influencers.
The programme gives students stepping up to the plate the support and training they deserve, to equip and prepare them with the knowledge and skills they need to fulfil their governance role effectively.
We’ve covered a lot of ground – from effective questioning, public speaking, presenting, jargon-busting, the Nolan Principles to chairing and understanding meetings.
And… the results, three years on, have been pretty impressive.
In 20/21 alone:
- 137 student governors actively took part in the programme
- 64 Further Education students attended and influenced FE policy and discussions at the National Association of Colleges Conference in Birmingham for the very first time
- Nearly 100 student governors took part in 6 additional leadership development sessions to connect with each other and learn from other young leaders
- 30 student governors lobbied their college’s board to take part and utilise the FE Climate Change Roadmap – that calls on colleges to be carbon neutral by 2030
- At least 5 student governors were supported to lead wellbeing projects during lockdown for their peers
- Further Education students were represented on the Department for Education’s Climate Change Panel for the first time, as well as gaining representation as ‘commissioners’ of the Climate Commission for Further and Higher Education, as expert witnesses for the Education Select Committee and as full voting members of the FE Governor’s Council
There is still much for us to do to continue building the platform student governors deserve to fully participate in shaping Further Education policy and practice. I remain committed to that goal. But if i’ve learned anything over the past few years, it’s that students really are an essential part of the governance jigsaw puzzle.
See our student governor programme in action by watching our round-up video from the Festival of Student Governance 2021 by clicking here.
Details for the 2022 Festival of Student Governance will be announced right here on our website once available.
You can also access our Student Governor Hub by clicking here.
Sign up for our Unloc Digital Update to receive all the latest news straight to your inbox by clicking here.
