Last week, college principals and senior figures in the further education sector came together in Nottingham to explore and help shape key government policy and reflect on the big issues affecting the sector. The Association of Colleges (AoC) and the Education and Training Foundation’s (ETF) Spring Policy Conference, which took place at Nottingham University on 20 April, provides senior leaders with an annual opportunity to meet their colleagues, and consider sector-wide strategies for responding to policy.

Chair of the Society for Education and Training (SET), Dan Williams, looks at how joining SET – the only professional membership body dedicated to the FE and Training sector – can enhance your career and support your professional development: Professionalism is a highly contested, socially constructed concept that means different things to different people.

Teaching in FE: there’s something for everyone!

SET member Tina Bullen is a teacher-trainer delivering PGCE and Cert Ed qualifications at a mixed-economy college. She has recently completed a PGCHEP qualification, during which she completed a research project on graded observations and their effects on trainee teachers.

Vikki Liogier, Head of Learning Technologies explains how the ETF is supporting the Further Education and Skills workforce to become digital citizens with the development of a pedagogic EdTech competency framework (EdTechComp):

The ETF has commissioned a series of OTLA Digital projects.   These projects are run by  Creative Education (OTLA South Central) and The Newcastle Group (OTLA NE and Cumbria).

Maria Brand (Wirral Lifelong and Family Learning Service) and Lou Mycroft (Thinking Environment mentor) discuss their experiences of using Thinking Environment techniques in family learning:

We invite you as Further Education (FE) and Training sector providers and employers to contribute to the Teach Too blog to share your learning, experiences, resources and ideas as we work collaboratively to address technical education reform implementation integrating Teach Too principles and approaches.

Further Education and Training providers across England have a new opportunity to collaborate on funded innovation projects that will support the delivery of the new maths and English Functional Skills qualifications.

Ellie Bennett has just completed a PGCE with the support of the Education and Training Foundation’s SET for Teaching Success programme, which is helping to boost the delivery of Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) in the FE Sector. Ellie was an architectural designer before making the transition into teaching in FE, and is now a Civil Engineering Lecturer at Stephenson College in Leicestershire. She is one of the first graduates from the SET for Teaching Success programme, which recruits, supports, trains and mentors industry professionals and academics with specialist technical expertise to teach SET in FE.