In the drive for a more resilient and efficient FE sector, cutting down on waste and making the best use of resources is a must.
In this spirit, you could be forgiven for raising a cynical eyebrow at the mention of the Learning and Skills Network (LSN). Let’s recap: in 2010 the charity, with reserves of more than £11 million, embarked on an ambitious expansion strategy, forking out almost £9 million on new acquisitions. However, its income dried up the following year; even after staff numbers were halved and land sold off, it swiftly fell into administration.
But it seems that, five years on, not all the LSN’s efforts have gone to waste. For its website is back in use once more. The site now has a proud new owner: the Liverpool Scaffolding Network.
Just think of the other possibilities for rehashing FE brands. FErret reckons that the French subsidiary of Southern Comfort has missed a trick by not using LeSoCo (the ill-fated and excruciating former moniker of Lewisham Southwark College). And while Vision West Notts’ move to ditch the word “college” back in 2011 was short-lived (it quickly reverted to Vision West Nottinghamshire College), perhaps it could make a few quid by flogging off some old headed notepaper to a firm of East Midlands optometrists?
Any further suggestions will be gratefully welcomed in anticipation of FErret struggling to cobble something together to fill next week’s column while suffering from an almighty hangover after the TES Christmas party.
A Christmas truce
It may be an exaggeration to say that the festive spirit has broken out in industrial relations, but it seems that there will at least be a temporary truce.
After the failure of the Association of Colleges (AoC) to table a pay rise on behalf of its member colleges last year, there was some apprehension that further strike action could be on the way. Especially when the unions called for a £1 per hour rise for all staff - the same demand that triggered the industrial strife a year ago.
But the AoC went further this time, countering with a 1 per cent pay rise or a flat £250 increase for staff earning below £25,000 a year. Accordingly, the biggest body representing college staff, the University and College Union (UCU), decided to carry out an indicative electronic ballot of its members on whether to accept the offer.
The union was clear that this was likely to be the best deal to be achieved through negotiation. The subtext was clear: if members wanted any more, industrial action would realistically be the only means of forcing this through.
It seems that UCU members didn’t have the appetite for another battle, with two-thirds of those who responded to the ballot voting to accept the offer. As a result, the UCU has formally agreed to the AoC’s final proposal, with the 1 per cent increase recommended to be applied from 1 August 2016.
While this meagre rise isn’t going to result in many champagne corks popping in college across the country, FErret hopes that it will at least bring a little festive cheer. Now, we’ll just have to wait and see how many colleges actually stump up for the increase.
Share your gossip, scandal and intrigue with FErret by emailing ferret@tesglobal.com
