The Bedford College Group are recruiting volunteers
The Bedford College Group are keen to ensure that the next generation are inspired by great leaders who believe in our purpose of helping individuals, communities, and society flourish through education by raising aspirations and reducing inequality to create a sustainable future.
We are recruiting now to widen participation across the governance structure and support the natural succession of our boards and committees. We offer a range of roles to suit different commitment levels, which include:
- Corporation members
- Independent committee members and non-executive directors of our subsidiary companies, Bedford College Services Limited (overseeing hospitality and commercial activities) and Bedford College Professional Services Limited (providing personnel to support Group operations).
- Co-opted committee members
- Independent members of curriculum and quality local groups
Who are we?
We are the largest college group in the South East Midlands, and the seventh largest (by income) in the country, with over 18,000 students each year attending one of our six colleges based across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, made up of Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Corby, Dunstable, Kettering, Leighton Buzzard and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college near Biggleswade; The Bedford Sixth Form, the only dedicated A Level provision in Bedford; an additional Sixth Form in Corby opening in addition, to widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering.
89% of TBCG’s students live in the South East Midlands region, with 83% residing in just four local authorities: Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire, Luton and North Northamptonshire. The Group is viewed as a major strategic asset within these authorities and works in partnership with key stakeholders to ensure the economic, social and skills needs of each community is met through its broad curriculum spanning further education, apprenticeships, workforce training and higher education.
Additional information
Similarly, to most private and public sector boards, Corporation Board members are collectively responsible for setting the Group’s strategic direction, monitoring its achievement, overseeing financial sustainability and ensuring legal and regulatory compliance. The Board is not involved in operational issues which are delegated to senior managers. The Corporation Board delegates some oversight to committees and, in 2023-2024 is looking to add local groups to support curriculum and quality oversight.
We invite applications on the basis of the specific skills and experience that can be offered to the Board, this may be in a wide range of areas, including but not limited to; further education expertise; digital transformation; sustainability; finance; HR; change management; and community engagement.
Time commitments for the roles vary, but estimates based on current experience are:
- Corporation board members 80 to 120 hours per year (board meetings, committee meetings, strategy days, development and paperwork)
- Co-opted committee members/Independent members of curriculum and quality local groups – 40 to 50 hours per year (meetings, strategy/ development day and paperwork)
Flexibility in commitments can be discussed prior to appointment.
There are many reasons cited by Board members as to why volunteering is beneficial, these include:
- The chance to give back
- Intellectual stimulation
- Social engagement
- Personal and professional development
We hope you will achieve all of these and will support you to do so.
Role Descriptions
Being a governor, co-opted / independent member or a non-executive director in one of our subsidiary companies, is a voluntary but highly rewarding role where you will be able to make a real difference and have an opportunity to use and enhance your professional skills.
