Board of Corporation - Govenor

About Barking & Dagenham College

The College offers high quality technical and professional training to develop the required skills to access university, straight into work, or to take a career to the next level. This is alongside award winning support for students that’s been described by the Government’s inspectors (Ofsted) as “Outstanding”.

Barking & Dagenham College continues to offer a very wide range of courses from Entry Level to Higher Education. In keeping with the College strategic objective of providing an inclusive, learner-centred curriculum, Barking & Dagenham College provide full-time education for disaffected and excluded Year 11 pupils from local schools and part-time education for groups of school aged young people from the London Boroughs of Barking & Dagenham and Havering. In addition to this the College also works in partnership with local schools to provide specialist provision for learners with learning difficulties.

What will you be doing?

Further Education (FE) board members are responsible for overseeing the running of the College and are involved in determining business and financial policy, strategic development and ethos. The Board, together with the Principal as Chief Executive, constitutes the highest level of decision-taking in the College and has the ultimate responsibility for all the affairs of the College. The Corporation has certain formal duties, powers and rights in accordance with the Instrument and Articles of Government.

The Board of Corporation consists of full Board Members and Co-opted Members.  Full Board Members attend all Board Meetings alongside at least one Committee meeting and Co-opted Members attend Committee meetings only to strengthen the expertise in that area.  At present meetings are held virtually but it is intended that face to face meetings will resume soon and these are held in the Boardroom on site at that College. 

What are we looking for?

The Board needs to be made up of members with a variety of skills, expertise and experience and the College are particularly seeking people with experience in any of the following areas: Digital, Apprenticeships, Hospitality, Business but all applications will be considered. Ideally you will also need:

• Experience in dealing with strategic and long-term issues

• To be a good communicator

• An understanding and interest in post-16 education and training

• The ability to take a strategic overview

• Knowledge of business principles and financial management

• The ability to work as part of a team and become an effective part of the Board

• An ability to participate constructively in deliberations

• To develop a clear understanding of the Corporation’s strategic responsibilities

• A willingness to exercise authority in a collective manner

• To maintain confidentiality and skills to provide challenge and support

• Active engagement and attendance at meetings is also an important aspect of the duties of a Board Member

A Board Member’s workload will vary depending on membership of committees. On average, Members spend the equivalent of roughly a day a month on College related activities. That time will be used to carry out some of the following activities:

• Meetings of the Board

• Visits to the College to become more familiar with the work of the College

• Attendance at selected College functions, e.g. prize giving evenings

• Attendance at strategy and development events and engagement in the Board curriculum links scheme

What difference will you make?

The Board of Corporation has responsibility for the strategic oversight of the College and plays a key part in shaping the College's future.  We need to ensure a varied mix of skills across members of the Board and at present we need to increase skills in finance, education, curriculum and digital as a priority.

Commitment:

Estimate of time needed: zero to five hours per month. Board and Committee meetings generally take place on Monday evenings at either 4pm or 6pm and last for a maximum of two hours.

How to apply:

Reach volunteering are supporting Safer Living Foundation with their recruitment and applications should be made via the Reach platform in the first instance, via the URL provided.