Governors and staff at Bridgwater College are celebrating today after being confirmed as one of three inaugural Members of the newly-incorporated Chartered Institution for Further Education (CIFE).

The further education sector is viewed by government as having a highly positive impact on individuals, employers and local communities, and the CIFE — which received its Royal Charter in October 2015 — recognises and celebrates the achievements of the very best training providers. Members will be committed to developing and sharing best practice and, in maintaining the very highest standards, will set a goal to which other institutions can aspire.

Lord Lingfield, Chairman of the CIFE explained,

“This is the next step along the path of creating the further education sector’s first Chartered body. I am very pleased to welcome in the first Members of the Institution.  The new Members have all passed a rigorous process which has confirmed their position as leading performers in the sector. I look forward to working with them to begin driving forward professionalism in further education. We celebrate what the sector does well, and our aim is to achieve for the further education sector a status both nationally and internationally equivalent to that enjoyed by our higher education colleagues.”

Speaking after the announcement, the College’s Chair of Governors, Derek Randall, said,

“This has been an exceptional year for Bridgwater College, in which it has achieved widespread recognition throughout the FE sector for its hugely positive and aspirational work with learners, employers and the local community. Early membership of the CIFE confirms Bridgwater College as one of the leading education and training providers in the country, and we look forward to a long and fruitful association with it as it develops into what we hope will be a highly professional and influential body.”

Principal Mike Robbins added,

“We are delighted to have been invited to become one of the first Members of the Institution.  It has long been our vision to be a world class education and training organisation, and our CIFE membership recognises and celebrates our professionalism and success. We look forward to working in partnership with the CIFE and its Members to promote and uphold the very highest standards for the sector, and to inspire others to attain membership of this prestigious body.”

Other training providers awarded Chartered status in this inaugural round were Blackpool and The Fylde College, and Hawk Management (UK) Ltd (Hawk Training) in Twickenham.