With campuses in Watford, Hemel Hempstead and Luton, West Herts College Group is where learning comes to life, with a wide range of full and part-time courses to suit all tastes. As of late 2021, around 6,000 young people were on study programmes at the College, in addition to 450 apprentices and 2,700 adults. Its campuses are located within easy commuting distance of London, so students have access to employers in the city as well as building a network across Hertfordshire, Luton, Bedfordshire and beyond. The College is well respected by Ofsted and the DfE.

In recent years, the West Herts College Group has embarked on sizeable capital development projects, including the £70m redevelopment of the Watford campus. Additionally, since 2017, the College has invested £30m delivering a general further education college and specialist engineering and construction centre in Hemel Hempstead. In September 2022, the College opened a new £28m general further education college building in Luton, and is progressing plans to further the site with the development of a new construction and engineering centre and sports hall which will be delivered in 2024.  

At its core, West Herts College Group believes that further education can be life-changing, and that by working together with its local community, it can raise shared aspirations, productivity and prosperity. Reflecting its community ties, it offers work experience with over 700 local businesses. With exciting future plans, centred in a thriving regional economy, and with demand for young people with the right skills higher, now is an exciting time to join West Herts College Group. 

Within the overall responsibilities of the Corporation, Governors undertake the following:

• The determination of the educational character and the strategic direction of the College, including setting and overseeing its mission and general policies
• Setting strategic aims and objectives and KPIs / targets for management 
• Monitoring the performance of management in meeting strategic objectives and targets
• Carrying out policies and maintaining adequate management information systems with a view to continually improving standards
• Ensuring within the College a climate for creativity; continuous improvement; and responsiveness to the needs of learners, the external environment, the local community, employers, and other client groups
• Ensuring the effective and efficient use of resources and the sustainability and solvency of the College and the Corporation, and safeguarding their assets
• Ensuring the Corporation gives a proper account of its activities and meets reporting requirements
• Selecting and evaluating the Principal, senior post-holders, and the Clerk to the Corporation
• Supporting and advising the Principal / Chief Executive
• Approving annual estimates of income and expenditure
• Ensuring that strategic and action plans with KPIs emanating from self-assessment, inspection and audit reports are stretching but realistic
• Ensuring that the Corporation has in place policies and procedures necessary to fulfil its legal obligations such as safeguarding

To complement the skills of existing Governors, West Herts College Group seeks a new Governor with strategic business leadership experience to join its Board. The successful applicant will have a common-sense approach, and will ideally understand the employment needs of the local area. They could either have experience of leading a local SME, or bring experience of a leadership role within a large corporate organisation. Candidates could be based in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, or North London.  

West Herts is open as to the specificities of candidates' professional experience. They should bring general leadership and management skills, but could also come from an HR, finance, or sustainability background. First-time NEDs are welcome to apply, but applicants should have operated at Board level in some capacity.

Above all, the successful applicant will be passionate about further education, and will share the College's mission: to give a competitive edge to its students; to create a spirit of enterprise and innovation across its communities; and to stimulate growth in its local economies and communities. 

For a list of current governors, please see here.

There are eight Board meetings per year. Meetings generally occur from 5-7pm on weekdays. Additionally, Governors will be expected to make periodic visits to the College, and attend celebrations of success such as graduation ceremonies. Governors may also, if they so choose, get involved in self-assessment reviews of curriculum areas. The appointment is for a two-year term, which is renewable until a Governor has served for a maximum of eight years. The role is unremunerated but reasonable, but pre-agreed expenses will be reimbursed.

Meetings take place in person at Watford, Hemel Hempstead and Luton. Candidates will be UK-based.

West Herts College Group welcomes applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability. As those women and those from ethnic minority backgrounds are currently under-represented on the Board, applications from those individuals would be particularly encouraged. All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010, however, the organisation may employ positive action where candidates from underrepresented groups can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well.