The Association of Colleges (AoC) is the contact point between the 21 further education (FE) colleges in the North East and works with its regional partners to support their common aims.
Two of the 21 regional colleges sit on the Higher Level Skills Board at any one time, alongside AoC Regional Director Alan Dixon.
Currently the colleges on the board are New College, Durham (represented by Principal John Widdowson) and Newcastle College (represented by Chief Executive Jackie Fisher).
Member colleges meet as the Higher Education in Further Education Group with John Widdowson as chair.
About half of the students on higher level skills programmes in north east colleges are part-time, mature learners on programmes reflecting regional priorities.
The members of the HE in FE group contribute about 10 per cent (7,500) of the full-time equivalent learners funded by the Higher Education Funding Council in the North East and, in the recent past, the Learning and Skills Council has funded between 3,000 and 4,000 additional learners at level 4 (HNC/foundation degree) and above.
For further details please contact Alan Dixon, Regional Director, AoC North at alan.dixon@aocnorth.co.uk
Useful links:
http://www.aoc.co.uk/en/aoc_regions/index.cfm/region/NR
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2007/07_18/outputNE.pdf
http://www.lsc.gov.uk/providers/Data/statistics/success/FEinstlevel.htm