The FE Guild project has been set up to undertake a detailed study, between November 2012 and April 2013, into the concept of establishing an FE Guild.
The project is aimed at enhancing and developing the professionalism of the Further Education workforce and a vital element of the project is the widest possible consultation with the diverse FE sector.
This consultation document sets out the rationale and background behind the proposal to form a Guild, together with proposals, options and questions about how the sector would envisage taking this forward. A key element in all the thinking behind the initial proposal to establish a Guild is that it should be for the sector and owned by the sector. This has been a guiding principle in the development phase and has informed the proposals. It is also recognised that this is a very diverse sector and to be inclusive will be a key challenge.
Key proposals in the consultation include that the Guild should:
• Focus on aspects associated with professionalism, including defining workforce qualifications and standards, continuous professional development, research into teaching and learning, sharing best practice and leadership and management.
• Have a relatively small executive team and rely much more on partnership, commissioning and other forms of cross sector work to fulfil its mission.
• Be set up as a Company Limited by Guarantee, but with very strong sector involvement in governance and the work of the Guild, via robust sector direction, engagement and consultation processes.
• Have a guiding principle of covering everyone working in the sector, although resource constraints and other factors might result in there needing to be an initial focus on teaching and learning staff and those directly supporting learner outcomes.
• Be based on providers in the sector being part of the Guild, but keep open the possibility of developing an individual practitioner recognition scheme in the future, should the sector decide it would be valuable.
• Adopt a phased approach to funding, initially based on a direct grant to ensure a successful initiation and initial operation of the Guild, but progressively moving to a levy-based approach. Further self-funding opportunities could be considered for later years.
To view the consultation, visit: www.feguild.info/Consultation%20document%20index.htm
How to respond
Responses should be emailed to Sarah Massey, at: [email protected], or posted to: FE Guild Project, 2 – 5 Stedham Place, London, WC1A 1HU
Closing date for responses: Friday 22 February 2013, 17:00