New Further Education Finance Leaders and Managers programme from ETF

A new programme to help current and prospective finance managers and deputy finance directors in Further Education develop the skills and knowledge needed to drive performance and influence and inspire others has been launched by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF).

The Further Education Finance Leaders and Managers programme will develop participants’ ability to drive performance through feedback, adapt communication styles for different audiences, skilfully manage upwards, present commercial insight and opinion, master stakeholder mapping, and increase their effectiveness as a business partner to their wider organisation. It has been designed in collaboration with the ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales).

Anju Virdee, interim National Head of Leadership Development at the ETF, said:

“The Further Education and Training sector has faced, and continues to face, a complex set of challenges to which it must adapt. As the roles of finance teams across the sector continue to evolve to confront those challenges, finance managers and deputy finance directors have a vital role to play driving team performance and influencing their institutions and effectively supporting their CFO and other stakeholders.

“The ETF is pleased to continue working with ICAEW to develop further specialist support for finance professionals in the sector to help them fulfil their responsibilities, creating this new programme specifically for finance managers and deputy finance directors to sit alongside our existing support for finance directors.”

Booking for the first cohort of the programme, which takes place in Birmingham over two days and one night on 1–2 February 2023, is open now. Places cost £775. Up to fifteen free places are available to colleges with financial challenges such as FEC intervention, a requires improvement/inadequate financial health grade or an ESFA Financial Notice to Improve.

The Further Education Finance Leaders and Managers programme is part of a wider ETF offer of support for leadership and governance in the FE and Training sector, which includes ‘The Further Education CFO Programme’ for Finance Directors and Chief Financial Officers. For details, please visit the leadership and governance area of the ETF website.