Professor Stephen Corbett of the University of Portsmouth reflects on work he has led on behalf of the Education and Training Foundation helping leaders to think about wellbeing in change in the FE sector.
In recent years there has been an injection of funding into the Further Education (FE) sector.
Unfortunately, it is not necessarily sufficient to address the decades of challenges created by under-funding the sector has faced. Nor is it necessarily the solution to the issues of wellbeing faced by the FE workforce.
We each know the challenges faced in the FE sector. Over several decades there has been a perfect storm of perpetual reductions in real terms funding and frequent policy change; both of which are coupled with expectation on all providers and their teams to enhance the standards of student experience and outcomes.
In this context you would be forgiven for challenging anyone who queries why enabling a positive sense of wellbeing in the Further Education workforce is considered a significant challenge. Addressing this challenge will take time, but it also requires action.
