FE Governor

South Devon College is a successful £38 million general Further and Higher Education College, with the main campus located at the heart of the local community in Torbay. Every year the College helps 8,000 to 10,000 individuals of all ages from across South Devon achieve their ambitions and progress through education and employment. 70% of learners live in Torbay and the remaining 30% in Teignbridge and South Hams.

As a key local provider of Further and Higher Education with its own Foundation Degree Awarding Powers since 2019, and one of only three colleges nationally to secure TEF Gold overall and for both Student Experience and Student Outcomes for its University Centre, the College is an important anchor institution for Torbay, South Devon and the wider region. The College also holds a ‘Good’ overall Ofsted rating with an ‘Outstanding’ rating for Education Programmes for Young People (including High School), Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development and High Needs.

The College is regarded as an integral partner for people, place, and productivity by facilitating long term growth and prosperity in South Devon and more widely. This role has never been more vital to ensure successful economic improvement in the region and sub-region. The College is supporting key national, regional and local partners as well as directly supporting businesses and individuals with new opportunities to retrain and upskill, creating an impact which will contribute to closing skills and productivity gaps.

South Devon College actively supports the development of the local, regional and national workforce need in a number of key sectors including construction, health, care & nursing professions, electronics & photonics, advanced manufacturing, engineering including marine and, importantly for their region, tourism and hospitality. The College develops and co-designs curriculum in partnership with employers and wider education partners to meet local and regional demand.

In doing so, it has developed a unique national reputation for specialist expertise and high quality in many sectors. While the College is considering its long-term strategy based around Quality, Growth and Efficiency, the short-term focus for the Board is on strategic financial oversight to support the long-term stability of the College. Existing governors are united in their approach to providing clear strategic direction to support and challenge College leaders.

Longer term plans will include sustainable and managed growth whilst maintaining outstanding quality. New governors will play a pivotal role in this.

The College’s requirements

The college corporation board at South Devon College is seeking up to three new governors, with two of the recruits also sitting on the People and Resources (Finance) Committee and one governor sitting on the Audit Committee. Successful volunteers will bring senior experience in either finance or risk and audit settings. Successful applicants to the People and Resources (Finance) Committee will hold recent C-Suite, senior leadership experience in a financial management role.

The successful applicant to the Audit Committee will hold extensive audit experience, including a relevant professional qualification. This may be gained in the private sector or a consultancy background. Any pre-existing education governance experience, including within the FE sector, is desirable; however a full training package and induction is provided, and this is not an essential requirement of the role.

Critically, incoming governors will be committed and motivated to have an impact on the College and its learners from the outset, with an understanding of the requirements of the role of an FE governor. As part of the application process, candidates are invited to complete the eLearning module linked below to ensure clarity of understanding about the role of FE governor in general, the context and other key details to help secure comprehension and appreciation of the role requirements.

Experience in risk management is desirable also and will further support involvement in committee meetings.

Time commitment and meeting schedule

On…