Advisory Forum

Skills Funding Agency/Young Peoples’ Learning Agency College and Training Organisation Advisory Forum

The Advisory Forum provides both agencies with a mechanism for structured engagement with the sector. The Forum allows the Agencies and representatives from the sector to work in partnership, in a spirit of openness and transparency.

Lesson learned from previous advisory groups underlined the importance of giving forward notice of issues to be discussed, allowing all members to properly consider and prepare for some of the detailed and often technical discussions and issues.

The terms of reference for the Advisory Forum are:

  • The Forum will have a wide-ranging brief to examine any issues of interest and importance which are related to the post 16 regulatory and funding-related roles of the Agencies. This brief is purposefully broad to enable both the Agencies and the sector to request time for discussions to happen. It is the only group that brings together representatives from the whole post 16 sector.
  • The over-arching aim of the Forum is to ensure that we continue to maintain and develop strong partnership working between the Agencies and the sector. YPLA and SFA operationalise the policies of DfE and BIS and sometimes DWP. The footprint of this group would be to advise on this operational policy and implementation. The Forum will also allow discussion about the implementation of new policies, with task and finish groups being established where more work and detail is needed.
  • The Forum will provide advice to the Skills Funding Agency and YPLA ensuring that policy implementation issues affecting the post-16 education sector are discussed with the group.
  • The Forum will act as a critical friend, providing critique and challenge to the effectiveness of policies and their implementation.

The Advisory Forum meets every six weeks and the minutes are available below.

Members* of the Advisory Board include;

  • Kim Thorneywork, Executive Director Delivery, Skills Funding Agency
  • Verity Bullough, Executive Director Capacity and Infrastructure, Skills Funding Agency
  • Sue Baldwin, Director of Young People, Young Peoples’ Learning Agency (YPLA)
  • David Way, Chief Operating Officer, National Apprenticeship Service (NAS)
  • Susan Pember, Director: FE & Skills Investment, Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)
  • Jo Thomas, 16-19 Funding Division, Department for Education (DfE)
  • Julian Gravatt, Assistant Chief Executive, Association of Colleges (AoC)
  • Sue Rimmer, Principal, South Thames College (AoC)
  • Marion Plant, Principal, North Warwickshire & Hinckley College (AoC)
  • Graham Hoyle, Chief Executive, Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP)
  • Stewart Segal, Chairman, The Learning Edge (AELP)
  • Jim Chambers, Chief Executive, JHP Training (AELP)
  • David Igoe, Chief Executive, Sixth Form Colleges Forum (SFCF)
  • Andrew Jones, Chief Executive, Sir John Deane’s College (SFCF)
  • Tim Ward, Chief Executive, Third Sector National Learning Alliance (TSNLA)
  • David Kendall, Treasurer, The Association of National Specialist Colleges (NatSpec)
  • Malcolm Trobe, Policy Director, Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL)
  • David Grigg, Headteacher, Lord Lawson of Beamish School (ASCL)
  • Jonathan Fawcett, Head, Swanwick Hall (ASCL)
  • Bob Powell, Chief Executive, National Network of Local Adult Learning Providers (HOLEX)
  • Jasbir Jhas, Senior Adviser, Local Government Group, Local Government Association (LGA)
  • David Hughes, Chief Executive, National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE)
  • David Lawrence, Principal, Easton College, Land Based Colleges Aspiring to Excellence (Landex)
  • Angela O’Donaghue, Principal, Sunderland College, 157 Group
  • Nigel Robbins, Executive Director, Tertiary Colleges Group (TCG)
  • Alastair Moon, Vice Principal, David Young Community Academy, (IAA)
  • Juliette Sargeant, Policy Advisor, Universities UK (UUK)
  • Steve Stewart, Chief Executive, CSWP, The Careers Guidance Company

*As of November 2011

Forum Minutes

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