Education secretary Gavin Williamson will be among the speakers at the Association of Colleges’ Annual Conference.

The event, for which Tes will be media partner, takes place from 19-20 November at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham.

Mr Williamson (pictured) , who has taken on ministerial responsibility for further education, is set be the first education secretary to attend the event since Justine Greening in 2016.

Other speakers at the conference, which will be chaired by broadcaster Anita Anand, include writer and broadcaster Matthew Syed; Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies; and columnist and broadcaster Ayesha Hazarika.

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David Hughes, chief executive of the AoC, said: “It’s great to be working with Tes on annual conference this year. The two days in Birmingham will be all about celebrating colleges’ work at a time when colleges are very much in the spotlight of politics and policy.

“We’ll be looking to Tes to help cover the issues pertinent to the sector and those working within it.  I look forward to working together and highlighting the amazing work that goes on in colleges across the country.”

Tes FE editor Stephen Exley said: “The AoC Annual Conference is the biggest event in the FE calendar, and Tes is delighted to be media partner for this year’s event. We’ll be providing live coverage from the ICC, and are looking forward to thought-provoking discussions about the issues facing the further education sector.”

For more information, visit the official conference website.