ETF appoints Sir Frank McLoughlin CBE as its next Chair

Sir Frank McLoughlin CBE has been appointed the new Chair of the Education and Training Foundation (ETF). The Board of Trustees have made the appointment following an open and competitive recruitment process which received applications from across the Further Education (FE) and Skills sector. Sir Frank will succeed Professor Peter Latchford OBE as Chair when he steps down at the end of December 2023. 

Sir Frank is one of the leading voices in the FE and Skills sector. As well as being the Chair of the highly influential Commission on Adult Vocational Teaching and Learning, whose report continues to shape the future of technical education and training, Sir Frank has advised on policy development at a local, regional and national level.  

Sir Frank McLoughlin CBE has been appointed the new Chair of the Education and Training Foundation (ETF). The Board of Trustees have made the appointment following an open and competitive recruitment process which received applications from across the Further Education (FE) and Skills sector. Sir Frank will succeed Professor Peter Latchford OBE as Chair when he steps down at the end of December 2023. 

Sir Frank is one of the leading voices in the FE and Skills sector. As well as being the Chair of the highly influential Commission on Adult Vocational Teaching and Learning, whose report continues to shape the future of technical education and training, Sir Frank has advised on policy development at a local, regional and national level.  

An experienced executive and non-executive director, Sir Frank was the CEO/Principal of City and Islington College for 14 years until 2016 – one of the highest performing colleges in the country and the first to be twice awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Further and Higher Education. He is a trustee of the Royal Anniversary Trust and a member of the Advisory Board of the Education Endowment Foundation. He is an Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford (Oxford Saïd), an honorary fellow of University College London and City University and a companion of the Chartered Management Institute. Sir Frank was awarded a CBE in 2009 and a Knighthood in 2015. 

Sir Frank’s appointment comes at an exciting time for the ETF as it marks its 10-year anniversary of successfully delivering positive impact for the benefit of Further Education and Skills. The ETF will imminently announce its new strategic direction – a result of an extensive period of consultation over the past 18 months with partner organisations and the wider sector. The new strategy will set out how the charity will continue to support everyone working in the sector by championing the vital role of educators and leaders in transforming the lives of learners aged 14 and over.  

With a renewed commitment to working in partnership for the benefit of the sector, the strategy sets a bold new ambition for the charity to drive professionalism by setting the professional standards for the quality of teaching and leadership across the sector, providing educators and leaders with a pathway of professional development throughout their careers, championing inclusion and enabling sector change for a thriving FE and Skills system.  

Sir Frank had supported the ETF previously as Associate Director of Leadership developing our prestigious Leadership programmes in collaboration with Oxford Saïd. His Non-Executive role as Chair will see him taking the reins of the Board, providing oversight, challenge and counsel as the ETF sets out a renewed commitment to being sector-first by driving professionalism, improving teaching and learning, championing inclusion and enabling sector change. 

Professor Peter Latchford OBE, Outgoing Chair of the Education and Training Foundation said:  

“With the charity’s new strategic direction and its deepening commitment to working in partnership with our sector organisations and to be responsive to the needs of the sector, I am delighted to be handing over to Sir Frank as my successor, to lead the charity through the next stage of its evolutionary journey.  

I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Rachel Musson who led the recruitment process, working with AoC’s Chair, Shaid Mahmood, and a committee of ETF trustees. Our focus with recruiting a new Chair was on placing the Further Education and Skills sector at the heart of the organisation, with someone who understands first-hand the challenges and opportunities within this vibrant ecosystem, who is a role model for professionalism, who champions inclusion and who can authentically engage with stakeholders at all levels to enable sector change. I am confident that Sir Frank will make a huge contribution to the future success of the organisation.” 

Dr Katerina Kolyva, Chief Executive of the Education and Training Foundation, said: 

“I am thrilled with Sir Frank’s appointment and very much look forward to working with him as the ETF takes the next steps on its evolutionary journey. Sir Frank embodies all that is so unique about the Further Education and Skills sector. His passion for a professional and inclusive FE and Skills sector, and the transformational opportunities it offers to all who work and learn within it, combined with his extensive experience, knowledge and understanding of the sector will be a great asset in steering the ETF so it can continue to successfully support the sector.   

“I would also like to thank Peter for his exceptional leadership and unwavering dedication during his time as Chair. Peter has made an invaluable contribution in helping shape our strategic focus over the past four years and has been a relentless champion for the important role the ETF can play in achieving better outcomes for learners.” 

Sir Frank McLoughlin CBE, Chair (Designate) of the Education and Training Foundation, said: 

“I am delighted to have been appointed as the new Chair of the ETF to help steer the organisation through its second phase of development. The ETF has a critical role in supporting the FE and Skills workforce to strengthen the UK in facing the challenges of an increasingly complex and volatile global economy.”