May 2001
Peter Pendle: An Introduction
I am delighted to have finally taken up my new position as General Secretary
(Designate) on 1st May. It is an exciting time for both the sector within
which we work and for the Association itself. One of my first tasks will
be to prepare a plan for the Association for the next three years and
I will ensure that members have an opportunity to feed into this process.
I have been involved in further education for twenty years. I was Vice-Principal
of a tertiary college in Harrow for six years, from 1990. I have been
a governor and chair of the board of a large further education college
for many years. I have lived through incorporation and many other changes
and so feel I have a good knowledge of the sector and the challenges it
faces, from a variety of perspectives. More recently I have been working
as a Director for Universities UK (formerly CVCP), the representative
body for universities and the higher education sector. This has enabled
me to be involved at a national level within a leading campaigning and
lobbying organisation; experience that I am sure will be useful at ACM.
ACM faces many challenges over the next few years. Perhaps the two biggest
are ensuring its survival as an independent organisation, drawing in new
members, and in how it responds to the creation of a new sector that is
larger than FE, putting the learner first.
Over the next few months the Council will be considering these issues
as it formulates a plan for the future. Difficult decisions will have
to be taken.
During my first twelve months I hope to be able to visit as many colleges
and branches as possible. The purpose of these visits will be three-fold.
Firstly, it will give me the opportunity to introduce myself to members
and to outline my vision and plans for the Association. Secondly, it will
enable me to meet you and listen to your views on the activities and the
services provided by ACM. Finally, I hope that my visits will be used
as a platform by branches to market the Association and to attract new
members. If you want me to visit your branch then let me know or contact
the ACM office in Leicester.
Already I have been involved with the national negotiations with the Association
of Colleges over the 2001 pay claim. A full report of progress is given
elsewhere in the newsletter. There is a clear recognition by all of the
key stakeholders within the sector that our salaries have fallen behind
those paid in other parts of the education world. The Association will
be working hard with our partners to ensure that this situation is rectified,
campaigning to ensure that sufficient funding is provided so that all
staff, and especially managers, are fairly rewarded.In conclusion, I am
very much looking forward to the challenges facing me. I have already
been impressed with the commitment of the Association’s staff and
Council Members. Having such a strong team will make my job much easier.
Finally, my introduction would not be complete without giving recognition
and thanks to my predecessor, John Mowbray, who has worked so hard over
the past ten years to create such a solid foundation on which to build.
To contact Peter email him at peterpendle@acm.uk.com
or telephone him at the ACM office in Leicester on 0116 275 5076 or fax
him on 0116 255 0548
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