Further education leadership mentoring programme
Information about the support available from the further education (FE) leadership mentoring programme and how to apply.
Applies to England
The FE leadership mentoring programme is part of the active support available to all colleges and designated institutions.
The programme supports existing and aspiring leaders with high potential to develop and progress in their careers as well as assisting them in their current role. It also aims to create a stronger and more diverse pipeline to the most senior roles in further education.
Mentors are fully funded by the Department for Education and there is no cost to colleges. Places are limited and we expect mentees to commit the necessary time to participating.
Eligibility
The programme provides mentors to the following staff in the FE sector:
- chief executives
- principals
- finance directors
- senior leaders and managers
We are encouraging applications from staff with protected characteristics who are underrepresented in college leadership positions. We will prioritise 15% of applicants who have a disability or come from black and ethnic minority communities.
We will prioritise staff who have not been on the FE leadership mentoring programme, before considering multiple applications from staff at a single college.
Support available
FE staff who join the programme will receive up to 18 hours of one-to-one leadership mentoring over a 6-month period.
The timing and duration of each mentoring session will be agreed between the mentor and mentee. We expect that most meetings will take place online, although we recommend that the first session is conducted face to face at the mentee’s place of work to give the mentor a better understanding of the context in which the mentee is working.
Our mentors
Our leadership mentors are highly skilled, with extensive experience in the FE sector.
They have previously held posts as chief executives, principals and finance directors at FE colleges. They have many years of expertise in:
- leadership
- change management
- curriculum and quality
- business planning
- teaching and learning
- governance
Our mentors with financial expertise have worked on developing and implementing financial strategies and recovery plans and on providing financial leadership for mergers.
How to apply
Applications for the FE leadership mentoring programme are currently closed.
Contact us if you have any queries regarding the programme.
Further Education Commissioner
Updates to this page
Last updated 22 January 2024 + show all updates
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Updated the 'How to apply' section, as applications are now closed.
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Updated the eligibility criteria and added online application and diversity forms. Applications are open until 22 January 2024.
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First published.