Guernsey Institute, the new hub for post-16 education

Monday 11 February 2019

The Guernsey Institute will replace the College of Further Education, the Institute of Health & Social Care Studies and the GTA from 1 July this year.

Education, Sport & Culture has said a 'shadow' board of governors is going to be appointed to the Institute, with applications already being welcomed for the new role of Executive Principal to lead it.

A new education law is also being put together, and once that's in place, governance and leadership responsibilities will be totally handed over to that board going forward.

At that point ESC will focus on setting the strategic objectives and overall budget of The Guernsey Institute and regulating quality and standards while the board manage it on an operational level.  The ambition remains for The Guernsey Institute to obtain university college status in the future by entering a full partnership with a UK university.

Initially the three existing organisations will retain their identities as faculties of The Guernsey Institute, including the GTA fulfilling its legal and statutory obligations as a company.  The leaders of the College of FE, the IHSCS and the GTA will each report into the new Executive Principal and will make up the leadership team of The Guernsey Institute.  They will assume responsibility for developing the shape of The Guernsey Institute, which will be expected to deliver operational and financial efficiencies while continuing to improve the quality of education. 

These changes will bring into effect a 2018 direction of the States to the Committee to work towards integrating further and higher education providers as soon as practicable.   

In the next few weeks the Committee will appoint nine members to the The Guernsey Institute board.  It is hoped that the new single board will include members of each of the three existing boards.  The single board will play a key role in supporting the Executive Principal to prepare for full integration when the new Education Law is enacted.

Pictured: Julian Winser. 

Julian Winser, Chairman of the ‘shadow’ Governors of the College of Further Education, said: “The interim arrangements for The Guernsey Institute have the full support of the College of Further Education Governing Body.  We are excited by the plans to merge the three organisations from July 2019 and by the creation of a single board to support the newly appointed Executive Principal towards full integration once the new Education Law is established." 

Last year the Committee set up an Integrated Working Group (IWG) to drive the integration project.  The IWG is chaired by Professor Richard Conder, who is a member of the Committee, and includes the Principal of the College of FE, the Head of the Institute of Health and Social Care Studies (IHSCS) and the Chief Executive of the GTA.  

Professor Conder added: “I am delighted to announce that from July the three further and higher education providers will be integrated into The Guernsey Institute.  The position of Executive Principal has been posted today and I look forward to meeting the successful candidate.  Once the post holder is in place, the Committee will continue to work closely with them and the existing three leaders, Simon, Tracey and Louise, in order to implement and develop The Guernsey Institute.”

Pictured top: The three bodies which have merged to make up the new Guernsey Institute.