Colleagues from across NCG are preparing to be part of the Association of Colleges (AOC) Conference and Exhibition 2024, due to take place in Birmingham next week.

The annual event is an important date in the further education event calendar, with leaders from across the sector coming together to hear from distinguished speakers from education, government and business, and to discuss key topics affecting colleges.

The two-day event, which will be held on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 November, also features a full programme of breakout sessions and hot topics for attendees to choose from, three of which will be led by NCG colleagues, cementing the Group’s position as a leading voice in the further education sector. 

Tuesday afternoon will see Executive Principal Gerard Garvey, Leadership Hub Director Phillip Lloyd-Williams and Southwark College Principal Jane Button host a session on leadership development and cultivating future leaders from within.

The trio will use NCG’s Leadership Hub as a case study, discussing its success in developing more than 300 colleagues over the last three years, becoming an essential part of organisational culture and developing future leaders.

On Wednesday, Deputy Principal of West Lancashire College, Lisa Hoseason and Careers and Learner Experience Manager at West Lancashire College Dawn Hughes, will lead a second breakout session on engaging employers and inspiring learners through STEM.

Lisa and Dawn will talk about West Lancashire College’s annual STEM Festival and how it brings employers, schools and colleges together to raise aspiration, increase participation in STEM and meet employer needs. Developed collaboratively with regional partners in 2021, Stem Fest has so far benefitted more than 2000 young people and has seen increased recruitment at the College, better progression into employment and excellent examples of working with multiple stakeholders to ensure local skills needs are embedded into college curriculum.

Finally, Adult Learning Manager at Carlisle College, Nathan Ball, will lead a breakout session alongside Stoke on Trent College and The Bell Foundation to explore the challenges of further education colleges supporting refugees and those seeking asylum, as well as the solutions needed.

Using the Our Community is Your Community initiative as an example, Nathan will talk about NCG’s and Carlisle College’s award-winning approach to engaging and supporting a diverse cohort of students through dedicated pastoral care, a network of charities, and tailored ESOL programmes.

Liz Bromley, CEO of NCG, commented: “The AOC Conference is an important opportunity for the FE sector to come together, share our experiences and talk about the key issues affecting colleges. As a national college group, NCG is leading the sector in many areas including leadership development, employer partnerships and supporting the refugee community, and I am pleased that we’re able to share our experiences with others across the sector and play a key role in this year’s event.”


Two NCG students will also find out if they’re winners at AOC’s Student of the Year Awards which will take place during the conference on Tuesday 12 November. Angela Newsome and Daniel Smith, both Newcastle College University Centre students, have been shortlisted in the Higher Education Student of the Year and Student Green Commitment categories respectively.

Find out more about the AOC Annual Conference https://www.aoc.co.uk/events-training/annualconference-exhibition