Two days of training with UK experts took place at Les Cotils on Wednesday for the shadow board in anticipation of them taking up their new roles within a projected 18 month time frame. The three colleges will comprise of the current College of Further Education, Guernsey Institute (for health and social care) and the Guernsey Training Association (offering higher education level courses). 

It will mean that students looking to carry on studies post-16 will be given a choice between one of the two site sixth-form centres or the institute based primarily at Les Ouzuets. 

Current President of the Committee for Education Deputy Matt Fallaize said there was a clear need to work with the two 11-18 schools to ensure both sixth-form centres were given equal opportunity to retain or recruit students. 

Pictured: Deputy Fallaize and the two 11-18 schools. 

"There is evidence that there needs to be closer working between the [Institute] and the sixth-form centres the most obvious advantage is that the right students can be posted into the right course but there's other things such as extra curricular activities.

"In those terms the sixth-form centre have definitely been more privileged in the past. You only need to look at the buildings in which they've been forced to operate in to see the difference between the two," he said. 

Chair of the Board Julian Winser agreed that looking forward was about "levelling the playing field" and bringing together the most qualified governors to deliver the new system. 

"It's very important to have people across the different industry sectors representing all three of the boards, all different character types to match. I think it's very good, the board will get bigger with time. 

"We need to marry together the two offerings. we'll also be working on a more demand led approach to vocational subjects than supply led, there is likely to be changes to the curriculum as a result," he said.  

Pictured: Julian Winser Chair of the shadow board (inset over Frossard House).

One of the shadow board, former Deputy Peter Sherbourne, said the aim was to create a comprehensive offering for students.

"It'll be 18 months to try and iron out the issues that will arise in bringing three institutes together. This training is about the governance model gaining some insight from people who have gone through this process for the past 25 years. We've got a great opportunity to learn from some of those mistakes and gains. It's a very important step in terms of post-16 education.

"The College of FE have already had a shadow board in place, it's taken a long time as far as I'm aware. I'd like to see a comprehensive  post 16 offer for students where the colleges work as one sharing common values embedded by an incisive approach," he said. 

The Committee received 27 expressions of interest for membership of the Shadow Board. Shortlisted candidates were then interviewed. The Committee was supported during the selection process by the Chairs of the three integrating organisations – Julian Winser, David Leafe and Debbie Guillou.

Julian Winser has agreed to take on the role of Chair of the Shadow Board of The Guernsey Institute.

The other board members are:

Mr Robin Fuller
Mr Ken Gibbs
Mrs Louise Hall
Mrs Sandra James (MBE) Mr David Leafe

Mr David Oxburgh Mrs Sue Ryde
Mr Peter Sherbourne Mr Tim Walters

"Since I was part of the board that initiated the vision statement it's not necessarily all along the same route but I think we have a committee that is working hard to implement the decisions and we wish them well we think we'll have a very successful outcome," he said.