Registration open for Governance Professionals’ qualifications

Registration is now open for the Education and Training Foundation’s (ETF’s) three qualifications for Governance Professionals in Further Education and Sixth Form colleges: the Award for Further Education Governance Professionals, the Certificate for Further Education Governance Professionals, and the Diploma for Further Education Governance Professionals.

The qualifications have been developed in response to demand from the sector for formal recognition of the investment that governance professionals have been making in their professional development. The ETF conducted a survey in January 2022 which showed that 73% of governance professionals were interested in FE specific qualifications and 88% agreed or strongly agreed that this would help to ensure that their “advice was up to date and based on best practice”. They also respond to the expectations of the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) – set out in the College Accountability Agreements – that “any person who is selected by the Governing Body for appointment as a governance professional must have a qualification relevant to the role or equivalent experience”.

The Award for Further Education Governance Professionals (Award FEGP) assesses essential knowledge and skills and its content is derived from the Further Education Governance Professionals Competency Framework.

The Certificate for Further Education Governance Professionals (Cert FEGP) is for those who have completed or been awarded an exemption from the Award FEGP. Candidates will be assessed via a portfolio of evidence covering criteria including products of work, witness testimonies and personal reflective statements, as well as questioning between candidate and assessor.

The Diploma for Further Education Governance Professionals (PG Dip FEGP) requires candidates to be currently employed as a governance professional by a UK Further Education or Sixth Form College Corporation, to have been employed as a Governance Professional for at least five years with a minimum of three years in Further Education, and to have completed or been awarded an exemption from the Cert FEGP.

The qualifications were designed by the ETF in partnership with the Institute of Directors (IoD) and Department for Education (DfE), working closely with the Association of Colleges and members of the National Governance Professionals’ Group and other key stakeholders.

Dr Kurt Hall, the Education and Training Foundation’s National Head of Governance, said:

“Our thanks go to all those who have worked with us to develop these qualifications, which are intended to provide a development pathway for governance professionals recognised as the professional standard in FE.

“The role of governance professionals in helping provider institutions meet the myriad challenges the sector faces has never been more important. These qualifications, and the achievement of competencies and gaining of experience they reflect, will help individuals measure and demonstrate their abilities, ensuring their contribution is properly valued and recognised.”

For details of the range of ETF support available to governance professionals, including the qualifications, visit the governance professionals page of the ETF website.