Volunteer Governor - Local College Board Member

East Kent Colleges Group has grown enormously over the past few years, and as an organisation committed to ensuring robust governance, we are now looking to recruit motivated individuals from diverse backgrounds to join our Governing Body and local college boards (LCB). You’ll need a keen interest into the issues facing Further Education, and a commitment to helping us achieve our mission of playing a leading role in enhancing the social and economic prosperity of the communities we serve.  

We believe that our Governors and LCB members perform an absolutely critical role in ensuring our Group remains resilient, innovative and excellent in everything we do, and it is our belief that a full and diverse governing body can be a source of enormous strength for us.

As a Governor/LCB member you will provide an external perspective, offering our senior leadership team your ability to challenge assumptions and look for the best solutions. You will bring enthusiasm, experience and expertise from other areas of life and can act as part of a well-balanced group of people to effectively support and challenge the senior leadership teams and staff to drive the Group forward.

Time commitment can vary depending on the requirements or any on-going business of the respective board at a particular time. There are a range of activities encompassing board meetings, strategy planning sessions, award ceremonies, national conferences, training, and community engagement initiatives.  Further details on potential time commitments can be found in the job description.

What’s in it for you?

Volunteering as a Governor or LCB member is a great way to contribute to your local community, meet new people and improve the lives of local people. You will develop transferable skills, build relationships and networks, and learn more about the education system whilst putting your existing skills and experience to good use. For those with limited knowledge of further education, or governance, full training is available.

We would love to hear from you if you are looking to give something back to your community and ultimately support our Group to deliver the very best outcomes for our students. 

We are looking for somebody who:

• Thinks strategically, and is able to contribute to the development of the Group’s priorities;  

• Is able to listen, reflect and learn from a range of viewpoints;  

• Is able to establish clear expectations for the leaders in the Group;  

• Has the ability to analyse and interpret data and statistics;  

• Has the confidence to ask questions and challenge leaders in an appropriate way. 

Do I need to have experience?

 No, you do not need to have previous experience and you do not need to be a current or former manager or a director. All you need is to be over 18 and ready and willing to share your viewpoints, experience, expertise, skills and fresh ideas to enhance the opportunities within the communities we serve. What matters most to us is a genuine desire to bring your own blend of unique experiences and insights to help advance the interests of East Kent Colleges Group and the prospects and prosperities of the students and families we serve. 

 Our board of Governors and Local College Boards have a key role to play in contributing to the success of the Group. Day after day, we see great examples of how the work of the Group makes a difference to the individuals, businesses and communities we serve. 

 We operate both a full governing body overseeing the Group and local college boards at each of our six colleges. 

 For an informal discussion about these opportunities, please contact Jack Collison, Director of Corporate Services and Governance by emailing [email protected] who will be more than happy to find a time to discuss the roles available and guide you in your next steps.