One of the country’s largest FE college groups has revealed its next chief executive.
Angela Joyce will take over as leader of Capital City College Group in January 2024, the group announced today.
Joyce will leave WCG, formerly Warwickshire College Group, which she has led as chief since 2015, this December.
CCCG has been led by Pablo Lloyd on an interim basis since the departure of Roy O’Shaughnessy in April.
Joyce leaves one rural, multi-site college group to join an even larger urban one.
On her watch, WCG grew to six colleges across Warwickshire and Worcestershire. The group also has three subsidiary companies.
The fate of one of WCG’s former colleges, Malvern Hills College, is currently before the courts as the group attempts to lift a covenant on the use of land before it’s sold off. The closure of Malvern Hills has been met with controversy locally, in particular from the area’s MP.
As well as expanding the group, Joyce oversaw WCG in becoming one of the first colleges to be granted foundation degree awarding powers and, later, bachelors degree awarding powers.
“I am delighted to join one of the UK’s largest college groups and lead the organisation into its next phase of development. While I will be sad to leave WCG, I take much pride in the achievements accomplished by our board, colleagues and students during my eight-year tenure as CEO,” Joyce said.
CCCG is made up of three large general further education colleges spanning ten sites across central and north London, as well as a number of subsidiaries.
Joyce’s new position will see her in control of a budget more than twice the size of WCG and more than three times the number of funded learners.
According to the latest accounts data, WCG recorded 8,051 ESFA and OfS-funded learners in 2021/22 while CCCG had 26,125. On total income, WCG received just under £49 million compared to just over £116 million received by CCCG.
CCCG and WCG were both rated ‘good’ at their last Ofsted inspections, which took place in December 2022 and March 2018 respectively.
Alastair Da Costa, the chair of CCCG, said: “Angela stood out as the exceptional candidate during our extensive selection process. Her unparalleled track record in leadership and ambitious vision for CCCG’s future make her an ideal fit for the role.”
The board of WCG will begin the process of recruiting a new CEO “in the coming months.”
An interesting spin on Angela’s tenure at WCG, in the interests of balance here is a slightly different perspective.
On her watch;
Henley in Arden College, one of the original 6 Colleges, was sold off to Wasps Rugby Club whose director Nick Eastwood just happened to be a governor of WCG.
South Worcestershire College (i.e. Malvern Hills College with Evesham College) was gifted to WCG at no cost. Though viable and not in debt at the time of transfer, following a sudden large unexplained drop in student numbers Malvern Hills College was closed. An attempt to sell to developers has so far been thwarted by a covenant insisting on educational use. All approaches by a charity wanting to purchase the site and continue to run it as a viable Community College backed by the local council are being resisted and instead legal challenges to the covenant are being pursued.
Meanwhile two thirds of Evesham College has also been closed and is currently offered for sale to developers, leaving Evesham College so small it is now questionable that it will remain viable in the longer term.
Fields at the landbased Moreton Morrell College were sold off to developers as apparently they were surplus to requirements.
The subsidiary company WCG Ltd was launched to employ new support staff on inferior terms and conditions. This included denying them access to the local government pension scheme and initially sick pay during a covid pandemic. Sick pay was eventually instated following widespread protest.
As well as shrinking the group, Joyce oversaw WCG in becoming one of the first colleges to be granted bachelors degree awarding powers, a process that was well under way when she joined in Dec 2015, the college having already been awarded foundation degree awarding powers in 2014. Staff in the meantime have endured endless rounds of redundancy and a real term decrease in wages in excess of 30% with no clear plans to grow the business. Angela meanwhile in addition to a £266,000 salary in 2020 awarded herself a £40,000 relocation allowance to move a desk to home.
Joyce’s new position will see her in control of a budget more than twice the size of WCG and more than three times the number of funded learners.
Good luck Capital City College Group!
Couldn’t have put it better myself.
Good luck to them, lets hope WCG get the right successor to at least rebuild some of the damage she’s caused.
Sounds like she made tough decisions that sorted out the colleges finances (think the “salary” figure quoted is incorrect as includes pension). Just a shame FE isn’t funded like HE
She didn’t sort the college finances out. WCG is now in financial special measures. She knew it was coming and got out with no accountability
Thanks for the heads up. Not at all surprised though. Luckily we have one of the strongest unions in the country with 91% density amongst teaching staff and 75% amongst support staff across the three colleges and 11 sites. We will be on strike in January over pay and workload. We hope that we will be able to resolve the issues left by the existing management.
But we have never stood by whilst our staff terms and conditions were attacked or our students learning environment is harmed.
Her significant achievements were to line her pockets and get out before it came to light that under her watch the college had over claimed by more than £4 million. That has to be repaid and the college is now in financial special measures.