Martin Doel to step down as AoC CEO next year

Martin Doel is stepping down as chief executive of the Association of Colleges (AoC) next year to join the Further Education Trust for Leadership (FETL).

He will become its first Professor of Further Education and Skills, based at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE), in September 2016 after seven years with the AoC.

Carole Stott, AoC’s chair, said: “Martin has been a tremendous asset to AoC over the last seven and a half years and has led us through a period of significant challenge and change. It is therefore no surprise that he has been offered such an important role that will continue to highlight the importance and reputation of further education.

“The AoC Board’s priority over the coming year, and into the future, will be to ensure AoC’s continuing support of its members, increasing the representation and promotion of colleges at a national level.”

Doel said: “Working at the Association of Colleges has been the most rewarding job that I have had. I am immensely proud of the service my colleagues at AoC have provided to colleges and their students over the past years and I look forward to continuing to lead them over the next 10 months.

“In my new role on behalf of FETL in the Institute of Education, I will look to draw on my experience at AoC to continue to enhance understanding of the further education and skills sector. I will do all that I can to help the sector to navigate the way ahead as it seeks to meet the needs of students, employers and communities in the same responsive and high quality way as it has always done.”

AoC will start looking for a new chief executive in January.

Natalie Thornhill