EDUCATION
Vision – the Etc ’ s new chief executive Grant Glendinning is excited for the future .
years in further education teaching and leadership in London before returning north to become principal at Carlisle College – a role that would expand to take in Newcastle College and West Lancashire College under the NCG North banner .
But the chance to become chief executive and principal of Etc . – which comprises Bede Sixth Form College , NETA Training Group , Redcar and Cleveland College , Stockton Riverside College and The Skills Academy ( Billingham ) – was too good to pass up .
He says : “ I ’ d been working up in Newcastle , so I already had a view of what was happening further down the coast , and I thought , ‘ Wow , that ’ s a fantastic opportunity in a place that ’ s transforming before your very eyes ’.
“ With all the transition of the legacy industries that we ’ re witnessing , the inward investment , the way the local political leadership appears to be galvanising around a real mission and the importance of skills within that , it was very attractive .
“ But then when you look at the group itself – its recent achievements , its high performance , the way it ’ s managed to turn around significant organisations within its umbrella – I thought it was a great proposition .”
And he arrives with the ink barely dry on Etc .’ s recent Ofsted report , which rated it Good with many Outstanding features .
He said : “ It ’ s not that we ’ re aspiring to be Outstanding in these areas , we have the evidence to prove it . We have processes , systems and cultures in place that really speak to our staff ,
“ This group has been incredibly well led and has benefited from great governance . That ’ s all still there , so we ’ re now at a pivotal moment where we can build on that success .”
students and employer partners . And I hope those employer partners find assurance and trust in that they ’ re working with a really effective group .
“ One thing we can boast about is our employer engagement – working with existing and great new partners and looking to serve them for their future skills needs . The group has a clear sense of its purpose and its curriculum offer has some real niches around things like clean energy and STEM subjects that will serve it well as the area transforms .
“ I also sense a great culture and climate in our venues . I feel everybody is united under one Etc . banner and has a strong sense of purpose .”
Running and being a dad to a sixyear-old takes up much of his spare time . He ’ s also a keen drummer and guitarist – “ I was once in a band called the New Philistines ,” he laughs – with a current penchant for old classics such as the Small Faces and Tom Petty .
But is he coming to Etc . with new ideas , or is it a case of “ if it isn ’ t broken , don ’ t fix it ”?
He said : “ I know I have a really wellperforming college group with a great team , so my immediate thoughts are making sure we harness those skills , talents and experience in the best way – aligning people to the right sets of priorities and projects we ’ re working on .
“ It ’ s an interesting phase for me , understanding strengths , areas of opportunity and the challenges we face . I ’ m in that phase of understanding the big picture and from that , there ’ ll be some changes I inevitably want to enact to ensure we ’ re in the best shape .”
There ’ ll certainly be physical changes , with Etc . colleges embarking on a fouryear programme of capital works and estate improvements . Indeed , on his first day , he joined a ground-breaking ceremony at Billingham ’ s Bede Sixth Form , where a £ 2.4m project to expand facilities will increase capacity for a further 200 students , including nine classrooms and also breakout spaces .
Other works will include Redcar and Cleveland College ’ s £ 3.2m Clean Energy Education Hub and a £ 2.5m investment at Stockton Riverside College in facilities for T Level delivery .
So , with the facilities , staff and an enthused student body all in place , it ’ s little wonder that as the new term approaches , Grant is excited to get started .
He said : “ I think we ’ re in a good position to build . This group has been incredibly well led and has benefited from great governance . That ’ s all still there , so we ’ re now at a pivotal moment where we can build on that success .”
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