Monday 19 Nov 2007 @ 16:07
Centre for Excellence in Leadership
Centre for Excellence in Leadership
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CEL launches strategy for leadership of sustainable development in FE
The Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) presented its strategy for sustainable development at the House of Lords on 15 November 2007.
"Towards leadership for sustainability" sets out CEL's plans to help develop the capacity and capability of leaders at all levels in the further education sector to lead and support the embedding of sustainable development throughout their organisations.
The strategy was informed by two research projects conducted for CEL, one by Forum for the Future, and the other by a team from the Education for Sustainability Programme at London South Bank University; extensive consultation with partners, influencers and staff members; and strategic partnerships with stakeholders in the FE system and beyond.
Conrad Benefield, CEL's programme director for sustainability, said, "We recognise the FE system's critical role in supporting individuals and society to understand and implement sustainable development. Our research and consultation process identified that we should support the development of leaders’ and organisations’ capacity and capability to be leaders for sustainability, and that we should actively contribute to policy development and practice. We should build our own capacity and practice too, and lead, support and contribute to debate, discussion and improvement in leadership for sustainability.
"It is really important to embed sustainable development into every part of leadership, not only into aspects of estates management, learning delivery and operations, but also into curriculum design, strategic planning, business development and workforce development. This is how we will be able to achieve truly sustainable organisations, where leadership for sustainability is a way of life and how we run the business, not just something we apply to particular tasks or departments."
Lynne Sedgmore, chief executive of CEL, said, “A challenge for further education, and its leaders, is how to balance and satisfy the very clear economic, social and environmental imperatives that it faces. Learner achievement is of course the primary aim of every learning provider, CEO or principal, but sustainable development is intertwined with the mission and values of our sector – to promote opportunity, create economic prosperity, support social inclusion, build communities and encourage responsible and ethical living. The further education sector clearly has a role to play in ensuring that we change how we live our lives so that our children and future generations may enjoy a good quality of life."
The launch event was hosted by Baroness Wall of New Barnet, who paid tribute to CEL's focus on leadership and its innovative leadership of important initiatives in the FE sector. She also praised those providers who were pioneering effective practice in the areas of sustainability and of listening to and working closely with learners.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. CEL's strategy document, "Towards leadership for
sustainability", is available to download at:
2. CEL's research report, "Leadership for sustainability: Making
sustainable development a reality for leaders", is available to download at
3. "Leadership for sustainability: The sustainable development
challenge for leaders in further education", CEL's report of the conference on 16 May 2007, is available to download at
About CEL
The Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) was launched in October 2003, as a key national agency within the Success for All initiative.
CEL has a crucial role to play in developing organisational leadership in the further education system to anticipate, influence and respond to government policy initiatives, including, for example, the 2006 white paper, "Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances".
CEL's remit is to foster and support leadership improvement, reform, transformation, sustainability and quality improvement. It serves the existing and future leaders of all providers within the further education system, including FE colleges, training and work-based learning providers, adult and community providers, offender learning, specialist colleges and voluntary organisations.
Following the publication of the white paper, CEL is involved in the introduction of a mandatory principal's qualification and the development of the quality improvement strategy for further education.
The white paper also heralded an expansion of CEL's diversity and equality remit.
CEL now operates through a charitable trust formed by its operating company on 1 April 2006.
To date, more than 1,160 different organisations and 31,000 individual participants have engaged with CEL.
CONTACT
Lindsay Baugh: (07736) 246 697 or (01707) 392 552
Email: lindsay.baugh@howardsgate.co.uk
"Towards leadership for sustainability" sets out CEL's plans to help develop the capacity and capability of leaders at all levels in the further education sector to lead and support the embedding of sustainable development throughout their organisations.
The strategy was informed by two research projects conducted for CEL, one by Forum for the Future, and the other by a team from the Education for Sustainability Programme at London South Bank University; extensive consultation with partners, influencers and staff members; and strategic partnerships with stakeholders in the FE system and beyond.
Conrad Benefield, CEL's programme director for sustainability, said, "We recognise the FE system's critical role in supporting individuals and society to understand and implement sustainable development. Our research and consultation process identified that we should support the development of leaders’ and organisations’ capacity and capability to be leaders for sustainability, and that we should actively contribute to policy development and practice. We should build our own capacity and practice too, and lead, support and contribute to debate, discussion and improvement in leadership for sustainability.
"It is really important to embed sustainable development into every part of leadership, not only into aspects of estates management, learning delivery and operations, but also into curriculum design, strategic planning, business development and workforce development. This is how we will be able to achieve truly sustainable organisations, where leadership for sustainability is a way of life and how we run the business, not just something we apply to particular tasks or departments."
Lynne Sedgmore, chief executive of CEL, said, “A challenge for further education, and its leaders, is how to balance and satisfy the very clear economic, social and environmental imperatives that it faces. Learner achievement is of course the primary aim of every learning provider, CEO or principal, but sustainable development is intertwined with the mission and values of our sector – to promote opportunity, create economic prosperity, support social inclusion, build communities and encourage responsible and ethical living. The further education sector clearly has a role to play in ensuring that we change how we live our lives so that our children and future generations may enjoy a good quality of life."
The launch event was hosted by Baroness Wall of New Barnet, who paid tribute to CEL's focus on leadership and its innovative leadership of important initiatives in the FE sector. She also praised those providers who were pioneering effective practice in the areas of sustainability and of listening to and working closely with learners.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. CEL's strategy document, "Towards leadership for
sustainability", is available to download at:
www.centreforexcellence.org.uk/UsersDoc/LeadershipforSustainability.pdf
2. CEL's research report, "Leadership for sustainability: Making
sustainable development a reality for leaders", is available to download at
www.centreforexcellence.org.uk/UsersDoc/SustainabilityResearch.pdf
3. "Leadership for sustainability: The sustainable development
challenge for leaders in further education", CEL's report of the conference on 16 May 2007, is available to download at
www.centreforexcellence.org.uk/UsersDoc/SustainabilityConference.pdf
About CEL
The Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) was launched in October 2003, as a key national agency within the Success for All initiative.
CEL has a crucial role to play in developing organisational leadership in the further education system to anticipate, influence and respond to government policy initiatives, including, for example, the 2006 white paper, "Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances".
CEL's remit is to foster and support leadership improvement, reform, transformation, sustainability and quality improvement. It serves the existing and future leaders of all providers within the further education system, including FE colleges, training and work-based learning providers, adult and community providers, offender learning, specialist colleges and voluntary organisations.
Following the publication of the white paper, CEL is involved in the introduction of a mandatory principal's qualification and the development of the quality improvement strategy for further education.
The white paper also heralded an expansion of CEL's diversity and equality remit.
CEL now operates through a charitable trust formed by its operating company on 1 April 2006.
To date, more than 1,160 different organisations and 31,000 individual participants have engaged with CEL.
CONTACT
Lindsay Baugh: (07736) 246 697 or (01707) 392 552
Email: lindsay.baugh@howardsgate.co.uk
