Two seemingly unrelated life events have happened to me recently. I stepped down as chair of Barnet and Southgate College after six fantastic years, and I saw The Odyssey at the cinema. Through scenes of storm-lashed boats, it occurred to me that FE governance does in some ways feel comparable to steering a steady course through choppy seas and unpredictable headwinds. Being chair of my local FE College has been the professional privilege of my career and has taught me many lessons. The most important has been how critical FE governance is to enabling colleges to stabilise, grow and thrive during tumultuous times. That recent years have been challenging for the FE sector is not in doubt. Emerging from the pandemic, colleges have had to support students impacted by lost learning. Ongoing qualification reform, Ofsted framework changes, shifting stakeholder engagement priorities, devolution – to name but a few – have complicated long-term planning. All of this during an initial period of historic underfunding, while FE staff continue to contend with cost of living challenges. Become a member for unlimited access to FE Week Our members enjoy early access to exclusive content and in-depth articles before anyone else. Get expert journalism on FE and skills, experience fewer ads, and unlock a growing range of member benefits. subscribe If you have an account, please login. Sign in