VIEWS & OPINION


Who wants to be a governor?


Comment by SAM HENSON, Director of Policy and Communications, National Governance Association


Across the country, schools and multi-academy trusts are battling a recruitment crisis for new


governors and trustees. Last month, we published the findings of our annual governance survey. We reported that vacancies are at their highest since 2016. Overall, 67 per cent of respondents reported at least one vacancy and of these, 38 per cent reported that they had two or more vacancies.


We estimate that there are currently more than 20,000 vacancies. The pandemic has made recruitment more challenging with two-thirds of respondents (63 per cent) reporting that they faced issues compared to 55 per cent in 2019 – an increase of eight percentage points. Governing boards are responsible for the strategic direction of a school or trust and their decisions impact hundreds, if not thousands of pupils. A typical board consists of nine to 10 governors or trustees. The high vacancy rate means some boards may struggle to drive improvement and provide sufficient scrutiny as well as financial oversight. Our research found that the number of governors and trustees under 40 was just six per cent – the lowest on record since 2015. Half of governors and trustees are over 60 (51 per cent), but just one per cent were under 30. Schools and trusts benefit hugely from the experience of older governors and trustees, but without younger volunteers also joining boards, they are missing the input of those who have recent school experience.


There are more governance volunteers over the age of 80 than under


30. What’s more, young people simply don’t know what a governor does – or that they even exist. And yet, becoming a governor or trustee is an incredible way to develop skills and knowledge contributing to your own career. Volunteers can start from as young as 18. For governing boards, having someone who has recently experienced the education system is invaluable.


Our research also highlighted that only six per cent of governors and trustees are black, Asian or minority ethnic volunteers compared to 94 per cent who are white. The figures are a stark reminder that the issues are not just about recruitment, but also about ensuring representation and diversity.


We know that many boards are looking at how they identify opportunities to increase both board diversity and inclusion. Indeed, there was a small increase of eight percentage points, compared to 2021, in boards reporting that they are successfully recruiting members from underrepresented groups – 24 per cent in 2022 compared to 16 per cent in 2021.


While the findings emphasise the extent of the challenge at hand – it is a challenge we are calling for others to help us address. Schools need more good people on their boards, we need to get that message out far and wide to engage the thousands we need to fill governance roles. At the NGA, we are constantly looking at new ways of promoting the vital role governors and trustees play. We recently launched a new two-minute film to describe in the most accessible way possible just governors and trustees do. It is part of the NGA’s Visible Governance campaign to raise awareness of the vital role of governance to schools across the country. We hope it will help to demystify governance. More importantly, we want to encourage people to find out more about how they can help the schools in their community.


To watch the film, please visit https://bit.ly/3yB9atc


For more information on becoming a governor or trustee, please visit www.nga.org.uk


Reskilling and upskilling to tackle poverty


Comment by FLEUR SEXTON, Deputy Lieutenant West Midlands and Managing Director of PET-Xi


Over the past year, the candidate skills gap – the percentage of applicants applying for jobs without the requisite skills, has jumped from 34% to 51%. A record number of UK organisations – 90% - planned to recruit in 2022, an increase of nearly a quarter on last year, but 87% say they are struggling to find candidates that fit the bill. Opportunities for training to provide young people with the


skills and support to move into employment are dependent on the needs of employers in the area. An overall blanket approach from central government cannot be as effective as local initiatives. Improved employment increases aspirations, health, wealth, wellbeing and social justice within communities. But, if an upskilled worker must move out of the locality in order to find a suitable job for their talents, the benefit to the community is lost. Upskilling or reskilling must reflect the opportunities, objectives and requirements of local business and social care. In order to fill vacancies, employers are finding they have to be more flexible to the demands of potential employees. Over 75% of companies are now offering hybrid positions. This allows greater flexibility to employees outside the vacancy’s location, a plus for those living in areas which have less opportunities. However, in order to take advantage of


October 2022


these openings, young people must have the requisite IT skills and be experienced users of digital platforms.


With so many variables involved in building and sustaining success - long-term ‘future-proofing’ – investment in the workforce is a must. Businesses are realising that in order to keep their employees they need to offer on-the-job training and development. If this extends to welcoming young people with potential and supporting them to attain the necessary skills and understanding, it’s a win-win situation for both. To support an everchanging business landscape, employees must be adaptable, able to think on their feet and communicate their ideas effectively. Qualifications in maths, English and IT are required, but ‘soft skills’ are gaining importance, with the World Economic Forum citing critical thinking and problem solving as headlining the list of requirements from employers.


Presently the highest numbers of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) are 16 and 17 year olds, these are equivalent to levels a decade ago. Their final years at school during the pandemic left them with high levels of uncertainty about what the future holds. Without the usual support at the key transition points, they left school feeling ill-equipped to enter the workplace.


With an ever-changing and expanding job market, we need to ensure young people know about potential futures that could be available to them. We need to support them as they explore career pathways, to identify the steps towards achieving a career goal – understanding the knowledge, skills and personal traits they need to fulfil their aspirations. If we truly want to Level Up and address the inequalities in today’s society, we need to improve the outcomes for young people in neighbourhoods where, for a whole variety of reasons, educational and economic outcomes have continued to be limited across generations. We need to ensure their opportunities are not limited by a lack of basic literacy, numeracy, IT and employability skills. With the sureties provided by traditional employment in decline and an ever more fluid job market, now is the time to plan for the future, it starts tomorrow.


www.education-today.co.uk 23


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