The ETF launches new online professional development resources for CEOs and Principals in FE

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) has today (18 May) launched a new series of fully funded online CPD resources to support CEOs and Principals in the Further Education (FE) and Training sector.

The CEOs and Principals Development Resources have been co-designed with leaders in the FE sector and are funded by the Department for Education. The aim of the flexible CPD support is to provide practical, technical advice on key issues. The resources and modules in the offer draw on the expertise of respected leaders within the sector as well as top figures from other fields such as finance.

The first module launched of the series is ‘Financial sustainability’, part of a suite of modules that supports Senior Leaders strategically with practical and technical knowledge and advise on key issues such as finance and data. The second module, ‘Using Data to Drive a Performance Improvement Culture’, will be launched this Summer with other modules including ‘Risk Management and Strategy Development’ coming in early 2021.

A second module will focus on ‘Using Data to Drive a Performance Improvement Culture’. The two series subject themes were picked by senior FE leaders who attended the ETF’s FE Strategic Leadership Programme, Preparing for CEO programme and the Chief Financial Officer Programme as priorities of this developmental offer.

The approach of the resources is to provide concise, thought-provoking inputs that are easy to dip into as and when time permits. The modules are broken down into a series of short topics which flow one after the other with videos of leaders contributing insights and real-life examples.

Sir Frank McLoughlin CBE, Associate Director Leadership at the ETF, who was instrumental in the vision and scoping of these resources, said:

“The FE sector is going to be vital to the economic recovery of the UK in these challenging times and that places a huge responsibility on the shoulders of our CEOs and Principals. Now more than ever they will need to focus on financial sustainability. We hope that these resources, designed by FE leaders for FE leaders, will provide insight and inspiration.”

The online resources build on the success of the ETF’s Principals and CEOs’ Programme and Preparing for CEO Programme delivered with Saïd Business School, Oxford University. The new offer intends to complement ETF’s other strategic leadership programmes by providing support to senior leaders across the whole sector in their daily working environment.

Mark Wright, Director of Design and Development at the ETF, said:

“We are committed to supporting Principals and CEOs in the critical role they hold in their organisation and the wider sector, particularly in the current circumstances. The essence of these resources is to provide useful, trusted advice exactly when it is needed, as well as giving senior leaders a practical opportunity to invest in their self-development.”

The new fully funded resources are available on the ETF’s Foundation Online Learning platform. Further information on the ETF’s full leadership and governance offer can be found on the Leadership Hub website.