We were as one in believing that the people with the power to direct change in the sector need to ask themselves regularly if they are doing the right thing. Are they being fair to those who choose FE, for whom it can be a life-changing or even life-saving opportunity?

Some 3 million people are educated and trained in colleges and many more across work-based learning and in the community. Are governmental decisions supporting equality of opportunity for everyone who aspires to improve their future and their family’s future through FE? Or are they blocking that path?

We know that politicians visit colleges: photos of them being guided round engineering departments sporting yellow hard hats are not new. But we would have more confidence in ministers’ decisions if we knew they’d invested time in really learning about all areas of the FE and skills sector - not just the powerhouses with robust PR departments but colleges large and small, private training providers and adult education in community settings. They may want to take a couple of civil servants with them. It’s clear that some of them need an education.

This resilient sector still finds strength to rally in times of unparalleled difficulty. The challenges faced at every level can be overwhelming and the daily search for reinvention is exhausting, but we don’t give up. We have hope.

Imagine what we could achieve if we were granted the resources to do our jobs properly by governmental decision-makers who did more than listen; who understood. We have hope for them, too.