Network’s £1m to improve links with colleges

The Selby-headquartered business was founded three and a half years ago with a headcount of five. Today, it employs more than 200 people across its head office, where there are about 100 staff members, and its second office in Stamford, Lincolnshire.

The business, which is currently recruiting, has made two key appointments as part of its plans, which include widening its consultancy services and launching an e-learning division.

Ioan Morgan will join The Skills Network’s Quality Leadership Associate (QLA) division, which provides support to the FE sector through interim management, inspection and quality improvement projects.

Mr Morgan, former principal of Warwickshire College, previously ran a consultancy company and was chairman of the 157 group, a membership organisation that represents 27 FE colleges in England. It was established in 2006 in response to Sir Andrew Foster’s review on the future of FE colleges.

He also works for Education Development International (EDI) as its chief further education strategy adviser.

He will be leading QLA Partners, a new product being launched by The Skills Network in September, which is focused on “pulling the talent out of the sector which already exists”, said Mick Cox, chief executive.

“There isn’t currently a strong, robust and exciting vehicle for personnel within the sector to get experiences outside their organisation without having to leave their organisation.” Top performers among a college’s staff go into another college to provide support in required areas and gain experience, and vice-versa.

Meanwhile, Nick Linford is joining the company to lead the QLA funding and planning team. A well-known name in the sector, he is the managing director of LSECT, which specialises in post-16 funding, performance and data in the learning and skills sector, and the managing editor of FE Week. He was formerly director of planning and performance at Lewisham College for six years.

Mr Cox said The Skills Network is investing £1m in the business over a 12 month-period to expand its offering.

Currently working with 24 FE colleges across England, The Skills Network supports the recruitment of learners, offers a range of short certificate and award qualifications, NVQs and apprenticeships, and helps employers train their workforce. It is also a distance learning provider, and has developed a range of learning resources.

In July next year, The Skills Network is due to launch Equal – an e-learning provision, with the first tranche being around areas such as employability.

Mr Cox said: “We are doing it because colleges need to cut costs and they need to look at more innovative ways of delivering the same. Whilst there is some other e-learning out there, Equal will be massively media rich and engaging. They will be very video heavy, audio, interactive elements.”

A facility within Equal, called Share, will allow a learner in Hull to communicate with a learner on the same course in Bristol, he said.

“They will be able to share their ideas and experiences. They will be able to take advice, upload videos, and there will be an element of Share which will take it to the next level, which will look at progression and looks at job opportunities. And that doesn’t exist, that’s a brand new concept.” The Skills Network this year will support around 25,000 learners and expects to turn over between £8m and £10m.

Mr Cox said over the next five years he anticipates this would rise to between £14m and £16m. He said the business is profitable but declined to give exact figures, adding that most of what the firm makes is being re-invested.

The firm, owned by founders Mr Cox and managing director Eliot Grant, currently has about 15 to 20 job vacancies. Mr Cox said the focus was on expanding its headquarters in Selby.

There are around 300 FE colleges in England. “If we can work with 50 of those over the next couple of years I’d be really happy.

“Our philosophy is the sector is being squeezed and we can run a good business if we can keep re-investing and offering services which are cost effective and high in quality,” said Mr Cox.

[email protected]