Association of Colleges reappoints Irwin Mitchell

The Association of Colleges (AoC) has re-appointed Irwin Mitchell to be its provider of employment law advice to its members.

Established in 1996, the AoC is the national voice for further education, sixth form, tertiary and specialist colleges in England. It is a not-for-profit organisation and its members make up more than 90% of the further education sector.

Irwin Mitchell was originally appointed by the AoC in 2017 and since then has been providing employment law advice services. The Irwin Mitchell team has supported AoC’s members through providing regular updates and attending network meetings across the country, particularly during COVID. The firm has been reappointed following a competitive tender process.

The employment law advice service provides a helpline offering adviceon a range of issues including pay, working hours and redundancy. HR teams within the colleges also have access to regular Irwin Mitchell briefings, templates and advice sheets, employment law workshops, topical webinars and regular networking.

Helen Dyke, a Senior Associate in the Employment team and a Further Education specialist, said:

“The AoC plays a vital role for the sector and works hard to champion the reputation of colleges, leaders, staff and students whilst ensuring their members receive the support they need. We are very supportive of the work that they do for FE colleges and we’re delighted and excited about continuing to work with them in the future.”

Mary Vine-Morris, Area Director (London) and National Lead Employment from the AoC, said:

“Our members are at the heart of everything we do and our employment advice service is an important part of the membership offer. Annually over 4,000 interactions between Irwin Mitchell and colleges have been had in five years which shows how vital it is to our members. It was important that we maintained the high level of service that it provides and Irwin Mitchell have proven over the years to be a valuable partner. It is a business that clearly understands the sector and one that we enjoy working with.”