The chair of governors at Stockport College, which was hit with an inadequate Ofsted rating last year before being placed in administered status by the FE Commissioner, is to step down amid concerns for the future of 150 jobs.

Trevor Rees (pictured) told fellow college corporation board members on Thursday (July 10) that he would be stepping down after eight years as chair as soon as his replacement was found.

Mr Rees was reported on the Manchester Evening News website today as saying: “It has been a privilege and an honour to have served on the board. I’m sure the college will go from strength to strength moving forward.”

It comes less than a year after Ofsted’s visit and follows three underwhelming monitoring reports by the education watchdog.

Former principal Stephen Carlisle was replaced by interim Ian Clinton in February, but since then it has emerged that the 690-worker college, which had already shed 235 jobs in the past three years, was set to cut another 150 jobs after FE Commissioner Dr David Collins recommended it shave £2.5m off staff costs.

One of the first tasks of the new chair will be to find the full-time replacement for Mr Clinton, who said: “I’m grateful to Mr Rees for his support, guidance and commitment to Stockport College. As well as the numerous meetings that Mr Rees attended, he also took particular interest in staff and student welfare issues.”

Chartered accountant Mr Rees led a board that had gone from 11 to 15 members since the Ofsted inspection result, which had previously been outstanding.

A college spokesperson said: “Mr Rees informed the board that, having overseen the initial transformation of the college arising from the recommendations of Ofsted and the FE Commissioner through the appointment of an interim principal and the refreshing of the governing body by the appointment of new governors, he felt it was right that the continued improvement of the college should be led by a new chair.

“The board of the corporation will now commence the process for the appointment of a new chair which it hoped could be made as soon as possible.”

In its most recent Ofsted monitoring visit report, the 9,000-learner college was deemed to have made insufficient progress in creating and implementing a post-inspection action plan, improving maths and English, and in performance management by senior leaders.

It was, however, was judged to have made reasonable progress on teaching and learning, and curriculum change planning.

With the job cuts, which will mostly affect non-management positions including lecturers, and other measures, the college could, according to Dr Collins, achieve a surplus of £185,000 in 2014/15 by hitting a £25m turnover target.

Speaking in March, Mr Clinton said: “By focusing the college’s activities towards the skills needs of Greater Manchester employers, we will be better-able to enhance the job prospects of our learners.

“Sadly, as a consequence, some redundancies are unavoidable. We hope to be able to mitigate the scale of any redundancies by redeploying staff into vacant posts in our growth areas.”

The FE sector has been quick to have its say on today’s appointments of Nick Boles to Skills Minister and Nicky Morgan to Education Secretary.

Former Skills Minister Matthew Hancock has been appointed as Business, Enterprise and Energy Minister and will attend Cabinet in his job (although not as a Cabinet post-holder), which is a new shared role at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department for Energy and Climate Change.

He tweeted his goodbye to the sector this afternoon. He said: “It has been a huge pleasure to serve as Skills Minister. So many brilliant people. With Nick Boles, skills are in safe hands.”

The announcement that Greg Clark will take on the Universities and Science brief, replacing David Willetts, has also been welcomed.

 

Dr Mary Bousted

General secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL)

“David Cameron has, belatedly, realised that Michael Gove’s ideological drive is no substitute for measured, pragmatic reform of the education system. Time after time he has chased newspaper headlines rather than engage with teachers.

“The dismantling of the structures which support schools, the antagonism which he displayed to the teaching profession and the increasing evidence of chaos in the bodies he established – in particular the Education Funding Agency — has led Cameron to one conclusion — Gove is more of a liability than an asset.

“Successful education systems value the views of the teaching profession, which Gove insulted when he called them ‘the blob’. ATL looks forward to a more constructive relationship with his successor, Nicky Morgan.”

 

Martin Doel

Chief executive of the Association of Colleges (AoC)

“We welcome the appointment of Nicky Morgan to the post of Education Secretary. I know from meeting her over the last few years that she understands the significant contribution colleges make in educating over 800,000 16 to 18-year-olds.

“One of her most urgent tasks will be to ensure that the education of this age group does not suffer further funding cuts, an issue I discussed with Michael Gove earlier this month. I look forward to talking to the new Secretary of State about this and about curriculum and qualification reform.

“Michael Gove has made significant changes in his time in office — many of which we have welcomed, including removing the funding gap between 16 to 18-year-olds studying in schools and colleges, introducing free meals for college students and his acceptance of the Wolf Report. We have had our disagreements of course, especially the early decision to abolish Education Maintenance Allowances, but we wish him well in his new post.

“We also welcome the appointment of Nick Boles as Minister of State in both the Department for Education (DfE) and BIS. He has some significant challenges ahead of him including making a key decision about the future funding for 16 to 18-year-olds and the proposed reform of apprenticeships. I very much look forward to working with him.

“Greg Clark, the new Minister for Universities and Science, will be receiving a copy of our new report, Breaking the Mould: Creating higher education fit for the future,  about the need to ensure colleges delivering higher education are funded in the same way as universities and granted the autonomy to choose how they spend it. Doing so would allow students to access more technical and vocational education and help close the skills gap.

“I’d like to pay tribute to both Matthew Hancock and David Willetts for the work they have done to support colleges during their tenures.”

 

Sally Hunt

General secretary of the University and College Union

“We wish Nick Boles and Greg Clark well in their new roles.

“The further and higher education sectors have enormous significance for both our economy and our society.

“Public spending cuts have had a profound impact on post-16 education and all parties now need to set out their stall for further and higher education.

“The introduction of new ministers is an opportunity for government to refocus its education priorities in the run up to the election.”

 

 

Dr Lynne Sedgmore

Executive director of the 157 Group

“We look forward to working closely with Nick Boles and to introducing him to the excellent work done by FE colleges as he takes up his new role.

“Having an open and productive relationship with the government helps ensure that policy-making in FE is informed by those with the experience and expertise to make a positive difference.

“At a time of great change in our country and in our sector, it is vital that colleges are supported to provide young people and adults with the skills that employers want and the economy needs.

“We congratulate Matthew Hancock on his appointment, and wish him well in his new role as Business, Enterprise and Energy Minister. The 157 Group has enjoyed a strong and fruitful relationship with him over the past two years, and we thank him for his commitment and his focus on FE colleges.”

 

Stewart Segal

Chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP)

“AELP is pleased that the Prime Minister has retained the joint BIS/DfE portfolio for skills and vocational education and we welcome Nick Boles to his new post.

“We look forward to engaging with him on how to grow the new traineeships programme and on formulating a set of apprenticeship reforms that work for businesses of all sizes, especially as there is increasing evidence that not all business supports the government proposals.

“We should build on what works and on the evidence base that has developed since the Richard recommendations were first published. We wish Matthew Hancock all the best in his wider portfolio and appreciate his protection of apprenticeships as the flagship skills programme when other programme budgets were under pressure.

“We also congratulate Nicky Morgan on her promotion to Education Secretary and hope that she will champion vocational learning and impartial careers advice for young people.”

 

Tom Stannard

Deputy chief executive of the National Institute for Adult Continuing Education (Niace)

“We welcome Nick Boles to his new role and look forward to working with him on the skills and lifelong learning agenda at a critical time for the economy and society. We must ensure we have a skills system fit for the 21^st Century which will lead to prosperity for all.

“We are pleased that he will retain briefs in both BIS and DfE. This will lead to closer working relationships between the two departments, something we have called for in our manifesto.

“Matthew Hancock will be a tough act to follow and we would like to congratulate him on his promotion. We are pleased that he’s staying within BIS.

“We also look forward to working with Greg Clark as the new Minister for Universities and Science. His experience of working on local growth will be vital in his new role, especially with the regional skills agenda.

“We also welcome Nicky Morgan to her new role as Education Secretary. Family learning is high on our agenda and we are pleased that DfE has shown an interest in supporting our National Family Learning Forum. We are also keen to continue our close working relationship with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) , not least on the Mid-life Career Review.

“We hope today’s reshuffle will lead to government departments — particularly BIS, DfE and DWP — working closer together. As we have stated in our manifesto, people having access to the learning they both want and need is crucial for the future well-being of our economy and society. This includes a range of training opportunities at work to meet skills gaps and skills shortages, families learning together to raise children’s attainment at school and people out of work having secure pathways to sustainable and fulfilling careers.”

New Skills Minister Nick Boles admitted to knowing “nothing” about the sector during his first parliamentary appearance in the job, but said he was “keen to learn” about FE and skills.

Likening himself to dim-witted Faulty Towers  waiter Manuel (pictured right), played by Andrew Sachs in the 1970s BBC comedy series, Mr Boles told a Westminster Hall debate he felt unprepared.

Responding to statements from MPs Graham Allen, Andrew Percy and Justin Tomlinson, along with Shadow Education Minister Rushanara Ali, about provision for 14 to 17-year-olds considered pre-Neet (not in education, employment or training) and Ofsted, he spoke of his pride in taking on the new role.

He said: “I am tremendously privileged and lucky and happy to be given this job. Like poor Manuel, I know nothing at the moment, but I am keen to learn.”

He said a piece of jargon he was not fond of was the phrase “workreadiness,” as he conceded he felt “quite un-workready myself” after less than 24 hours in the job.

Mr Boles also used his speech to pay tribute to the “energy, enthusiasm and drive” of his predecessor, Matthew Hancock, who has been appointed Business, Enterprise and Energy Minister and will attend Cabinet in his job (although not as a Cabinet post-holder).

For more on Mr Boles’s first parliamentary appearance as Skills Minister see feweek.co.uk this afternoon

Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan, who has served in two Treasury positions, is the new Education Secretary following the departure of Michael Gove.

Ms Morgan, aged 41, moved into Mr Gove’s job at the Department for Education (DfE) after his move to the office of Chief Whip in the House of Commons.

London-born Ms Morgan, a mum-of-one, was one of several highly-regarded Conservative women tipped for promotion, including former Education Minister Elizabeth Truss, who will be the new Environment Secretary following Owen Paterson’s departure.

An Oxford graduate and former solicitor, Ms Morgan was elected in 2010 having lost to Labour’s Andy Reed in 2005.

Within weeks of entering the House of Commons she was appointed a Conservative member of the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee, serving four months until she was given the post of Parliamentary Private Secretary to Universities Minister David Willetts.

She was promoted to Economic Secretary at the Treasury in October, and then to Financial Secretary in April following Sajid Javid’s appointment as Culture Secretary. She retains her brief for women and equalities.

Her Twitter handle is @NickyMorgan01.

Former Planning Minister Nick Boles has taken on a joint role at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department for Education (DfE).

Although it has not been officially confirmed the 48-year-old Tory, a former flatmate of Michael Gove, will take on the skills portfolio, a Downing Street spokesperson told FE Week that he “understood” he would be taking Matthew Hancock’s old role.

A Winchester College student and Oxford graduate, Mr Boles owned and small business and served on Westminster City Council before entering Parliament in 2010 for the Grantham and Stamford constituency. He was a founder and director of the Policy Exchange thinktank.

He was previously an undersecretary of state at the Department for Communities and Local Government, where he was in charge of planning policy.

His Twitter handle is @NickBolesMP.

UPDATE (11.47am): Mr Boles’s Parliamentary office has confirmed to FE Week that he has taken on the skills brief.

UPDATE (12.33am): Mr Boles has given his first comments as Skills Minister to FE Week after reporter Freddie Whittaker caught up with him as he made his way to the BIS offices in London for his first briefing.

He said: “I am absolutely delighted with the appointment. It’s a really crucial role. If we are going to make sure everyone can benefit from the economic recovery we have to make sure they have got the skills they need.”

Matthew Hancock has moved to a new shared role at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Department for Energy and Climate Change.

The MP for West Suffolk and former Skills and Enterprise Minister has been appointed as Business, Enterprise and Energy Minister, taking on the work of former Business Minister Michael Fallon, who is the new Defence Secretary.

Mr Hancock will keep the ‘enterprise’ elements of his former brief. He will also be Minister for Portsmouth, a job previously held by Mr Fallon.

In the shake-up, in which Foreign Secretary William Hague resigned and Education Secretary Michael Gove went to Chief Whip, Mr Hancock got what he had been expecting for weeks — a seat at Cabinet (although he will not hold a Cabinet post). The new Education Secretary is Nicky Morgan, who had recently been promoted to a ministerial role in the Treasury.

Elected as MP for West Suffolk in 2010, Mr Hancock became Skills Minister in 2012.

In an interview with FE Week at the time, he said FE was “something I’ve cared about for a long time” and said he would be “learning and I’m listening and I’m asking lots of questions”.

He added: “I’ve trying to make sure that I know exactly how the system works and figure out how it can work better.”

He hit the ground running with plans to set up the organisation that would become the Education and Training Foundation — then known as the FE Guild — originally proposed by his predecessor John Hayes, which replaced the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS).

A month later, the Richard Review of Apprenticeships was published, a report that would impact on many of Mr Hancock’s policy decisions in office, sparking an ongoing reform of apprenticeship funding.

Apprenticeships are now set to move from being funded through direct government payment to providers, to employers paying for training in return for greater control of the programme — as recommended by review author Doug Richard, a former investor on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den show.

However, several bodies within the FE and skills sector have expressed concern that such reforms may make apprenticeships too complicated and bureaucratic for smaller employers.

A technical consultation on the reforms, which closed in May, proposed three options — maintaining the current system, bringing in a PAYE system or implementing apprenticeship credit accounts for employers.

The government response to the consultation has not been released.

Mr Hancock said: “We want to see apprenticeships become the new norm for all ambitious young people, and for employers who are dedicated to growing their own talent and increasing the skills base of the nation.”

The reforms, he added, were “helping to make this a reality”.

The Wolf Report, published a year before Hancock took on the role of Skills Minister, also led to upheaval in the sector, with many vocational qualifications being cut after being deemed “low value”.

“We support vocational qualifications that help people into work, so we must focus support on those that employers value,” said Mr Hancock.

However, the move has not been without controversy, as organisations such as the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education have warned that although some courses may not lead directly to jobs, they can help to entice adult learners back into education, and inspire them to improve their qualifications.

In January 2013, Mr Hancock announced his flagship programme for young people without the skills or experience to get an apprenticeship — the traineeship, which combines maths, English and employability training with a work experience placement.

The program was launched officially in August 2013 and despite initial problems with recruitment, awareness and benefits rules which prevent trainees from claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance, numbers are increasing.

When FE Week spoke with him last year after 12 months in post, he mentioned traineeships as one of the highlights in office.

“They [traineeships] started out as an idea in October, when the work started in earnest, and the high point of the year was meeting a pilot group of trainees at the House of Commons,” he said.

The other project Mr Hancock can lay claim to is the Further Education Learning Technology Action Group (Feltag), which he set up with sector and industry experts to find out how FE could make better use of technology.

The group, which published its report in March, has called for sweeping changes to the use of technology in teaching and learning and has spawned a similar group to examine the issue for under-16 education.

When the report was released, Mr Hancock said: “I think we can harness technology to drive up standards. It’s about empowering teachers and using technology to improve and strengthen teaching.”

While the response to Feltag and traineeships have been largely positive, many in the sector have spoken out against the government’s decision to cut the full-time funding rate for 18-year-olds by 17.5 per cent, warning it would damage the chances of people who had been failed by the education system already.

However, Mr Hancock defended the move, saying: “We are faced with a cut across the government to make savings to reach the goals we have to reduce budget deficit. It is difficult being a minister when there’s no money left.”

Such difficulties didn’t stop him from receiving a promotion in September 2013 to Minister of State for Skills and Enterprise (having previously been Skills Minister as Under Secretary of State).

In January 2014 he announced the first new college to open in 21 years since incorporation.

Mr Hancock said a specialist college to train engineers to build and maintain the proposed High Speed 2 rail link would be founded, and just week later this was followed by a second, this time focussed on the skills needed for the nuclear power industry.

He said: “The new college will build on the industry’s work — and provide the specialist, advanced skills to meet that demand — and then sell that expertise to the world.”

Essex-based charity Prospects Learning Foundation was later revealed to be the college in question. It was not the HS2 college predicted, but a new rail college elsewhere to serve the transport project remains on the cards.

As well as new colleges, a range of new technical and vocational qualifications have been announced during Mr Hancock’s time in office, including the TechBacc a measurement requiring maths, an extended writing project and vocational qualifications.

The Tech Level, a vocational qualification that can be done instead of or alongside academic A levels and substantial vocational qualification to help 16 to 19-year-olds with basic skills needs to go straight into a skilled trade or move onto a related Tech-Level, have also been introduced.

When Mr Hancock first took the job as Skills Minister, he told FE Week he was looking forward to finding out “what we can do to make this sector even more successful” and raise its profile.

A number of national newspapers have tipped him for Conservative Party leadership, and even painted him as possible Prime Minister in the future.

Mr Hancock himself has been tight-lipped about his own hopes for the future, but given that he once appeared to compare himself to Winston Churchill in an interview with The Spectator, it’s seems safe to say he has ambitions.

When asked about the future during a profile interview with FE Week in April, he replied: “Politics is a team game, so you play the part in the team that you are asked to play.”

Click here to read the full FE Week profile interview with Mr Hancock.