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Help your local college, help your community

Further education colleges play a vital part in helping millions of people gain the skills and qualifications they need to get on.

Some specialise in particular subjects, from art and design to agriculture and horticulture. Others offer a broad range of courses to all sorts of people who want to improve their skills and perhaps get a qualification - from young people who’ve just left school to adults catching up on the education they missed earlier in life.

So it’s important that colleges provide the opportunities local people and local employers need - and that’s where college governors come in. Governors are volunteers from the local community who help set the college’s direction and ensure that it's run well.

What types of people are colleges looking for as governors?

It’s important that a college’s governing body understands what students and  employers need, represents the community the college serves and has members with the skills to provide leadership for the college.

So colleges look for governors from a wide range of backgrounds - professionals and business people as well as students, parents and college staff.
 
There’s no one type of person best suited to becoming a governor: the most important qualities are an interest in further education and a desire to contribute to the life of the college.

What’s involved in being a governor

The college Principal is responsible for the day-to-day running of the college, with the governing body defining the college’s strategy and offering advice and support.

The governing body is made up of between 12 and 20 governors, appointed for up to four years at a time. Its duties include:

• defining the college’s strategy - setting aims and objectives
• making sure the Principal and staff are accountable for how the college is run
• monitoring and evaluating the college’s performance
• playing a part in appointing senior college staff and setting the framework for the pay and conditions of more junior staff

This means that the governing body is accountable for the college’s financial position and use of public funds, the quality of the education it provides and its wider contribution to the community it serves.

In practice, you’ll need to attend meetings of the governing body at least once per term. You may also be asked to join a committee to look at a specific issue - for example, finance, staffing, the curriculum or the college’s property.

• Find out more about being a governor with the Governance Good Practice Guide Opens new window

Training for college governors

New governors can expect support for their development, starting with an induction to the role.

This might involve going to a training event, observing some meetings or ‘shadowing’ an existing governor. Some experienced governors act as mentors to new starters.

You should also have access to training to help keep your knowledge and skills up to date - including training on the latest developments in government policy and college strategy.

Getting time off work

You may be entitled to 'reasonable' time off work to carry out your duties as a governor. You’ll qualify if you are technically an 'employee' and don’t work in one of the exempted occupations.

Your employer does not have to pay you during your time off, but may choose to do so.

• Time off for public duties (employees section)

Help with expenses

College governors are volunteers, so they don’t get paid. But your local college will have a scheme to help governors with the expenses involved in attending meetings and college events - for example, travel and childcare.

Applying to become a college governor

Check your local college’s website, or get in touch with your local college and let them know that you’re interested in becoming a governor. They will be able to tell you whether they have any vacancies, and how you can apply.

If there are no vacancies for governors at the moment, you may be able to get involved by taking part in one of the college’s committees.

You can find contact details for your local college on the EduBase website.

• Find a local learning provider on EduBase Opens new window

More useful links

• Resources for college governors and clerks from fegovernance.org Opens new window
• Becoming a school governor (parents section)
• Volunteering (home and community section)