Welcome letter from the Vice Principal, Adult & Employment Pathways
Thank you very much for taking the time to access this briefing pack. I hope that you will feel enthused by its contents to apply for the post of Head of Operations, Employer-led, Employability and Commercial. A critical role in my senior management team.
WKC is not just any further education college. Our central London location means we are uniquely placed at the heart of one of the world’s greatest cities and we work hard to optimise the advantages that come with this. We partner closely with our key local authorities - Camden and Westminster - but have a geographically wide catchment area. We draw our students from all 33 London boroughs and beyond. People are as likely to study here because they work in central London as live locally. Many travel in because they enjoy the social aspects of studying in central London. Of course, our employer responsive team travel to deliver training on employers’ premises all over London rather than expecting their clients to come to one of our sites.
Over the last few years the college has gone from strength to strength. We are sound financially, were again judged as ‘Good’ by OfSTED in April 2011 and have received a host of recognitions for our employer facing and partnership work. In February 2009 we opened the first new, purpose-built, FE building in London for many years and have embarked on a programme which will see the remainder of our estate renewed during the next year or so.
That said, we recognise this is not enough to thrive in the challenging environment FE will face over the next years. The funding cuts faced by all public sector organisations require us to do significantly more with fewer resources. WKC is facing these challenges by ensuring we are demand-led and providing a distinctive offer for each of our three key client groups – 14-19 year olds; the unemployed and adults in low-paid jobs; and employers.
We have transformed our services for employers and adults to create a truly responsive offer which maximises commercial revenues, attracts UK and European funding and deepens our strong relationships with local and regional partners. The governors and leadership of the college believe that we are creating a truly commercial training operation underpinned with the long-established values of a great further education organisation. It will be the crucial role of the new Head of Operations to work with the excellent teams they will inherit to take this key area of work through the next stages in its development.
There is much to achieve in both the short and long term and we are seeking the right candidate, with the right values, the right attitude and the right team leadership skills. If you believe you have the ability to respond flexibly and proactively in a rapidly changing, exciting and challenging environment, I would welcome an application from you. If you would like to discuss the role directly with me before deciding to apply, please contact my PA, Ansai Fraser, (ansai.fraser@westking.ac.uk or 020 7025 1948) who will arrange a time when we can speak on the phone.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Raj Kakaiya
Vice Principal, Adult and Employment Pathways