Deputy Jones to succeed CEO Booth at Luminate

Change in leadership at major college group will happen in the new year

Change in leadership at major college group will happen in the new year

Bill Jones has been promoted to chief executive of Luminate Education Group, effective from January.

The current deputy CEO of the organisation, which is one of England’s largest college groups, will take the helm when current chief Colin Booth retires at the end of the year.

Jones has been deputy at the group since 2015, as well as being executive principal of Leeds City College.

As deputy, he leads the college group’s initiatives across teaching, stakeholder engagement and institutional performance.

Jones said: “It is an immense privilege to be appointed as the next chief executive of Luminate Education Group. Having worked within the group for over 10 years, I’ve seen first-hand the impact our members, staff and students make across our communities every day.

“I am proud of what we have achieved together under Colin Booth’s leadership — and I’m excited to build on that strong foundation. As we look ahead, my focus will be on deepening our commitment to inclusive, high-quality education across both further and higher education, while exploring new ways to innovate, respond to local and national priorities, and strengthen our partnerships across sectors.”

With a career in education spanning nearly three decades, Jones began as an English teacher at the now-closed East Birmingham College.

He then worked his way up to hold senior positions at Rotherham College of Arts and Technology and Burton & South Derbyshire College. 

Before starting at Leeds City College, he spent six years at Sheffield College leading curriculum planning and quality assurance.

John Toon, chair of Luminate’s board, said: “This appointment follows a rigorous and highly competitive recruitment process, attracting interest from across the education and public sectors. 

“Bill demonstrated a clear vision for the future of Luminate, with a deep understanding of our values and the challenges and opportunities facing education at both a regional and national level. The Board is confident that he will provide outstanding leadership in the years ahead.”

The search for a new group CEO began in April when Booth announced his retirement after a 40-year career, ending with 10 years at Luminate.

Luminate Education Group is one of the largest colleges in England, with more than 30,000 students across its three FE colleges, one sixth from college and two higher education institutions. It generated £128 million in group income in 2023-24.

The group maintained a ‘good’ Ofsted rating following its latest inspection in February.

Latest education roles from

Principal & Chief Executive – Bath College

Principal & Chief Executive – Bath College

Dodd Partners

IT Technician

IT Technician

Harris Academy Morden

Teacher of Geography

Teacher of Geography

Harris Academy Orpington

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Exams Assistant

Exams Assistant

Richmond and Hillcroft Adult & Community College

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

Reshaping the New Green Skills Landscape

The UK government is embarking on a transformative journey to reshape its skills landscape, placing a significant emphasis on...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Safe to speak, ready to act: SaferSpace targets harassment and misconduct in education 

In an era where safeguarding and compliance are firmly in the spotlight, education providers face a growing responsibility: to...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Screening for the cognitive needs of apprentices is essential – does it matter if the process is engaging?

Engagement should be the first priority in cognitive assessment. An engaging assessment is an inclusive assessment — when cognitive...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Skills Bootcamps Are Changing – What FE Colleges Must Know 

Skills Bootcamps are evolving as funding moves to local control and digital skills trends shift. Code Institute, an Ofsted...

Code Institute

More from this theme

Colleges

Colleges seek merger to capitalise on devolution

'Powerful’ new group to be created next July

Anviksha Patel
Colleges

National 16-19 funding rate boosted to £5,105 in 2025-26

Rates for T Levels, disadvantaged and English and maths funding are also rising

Billy Camden
Colleges

Principal of cash-strapped college to retire

Decade-serving boss says decision to leave Hampshire college was ‘not made lightly’

Anviksha Patel
Colleges

Burnley College principal officially suspended

Karen Buchanan is under ‘ongoing investigation'

Anviksha Patel

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *