Further Education Colleges in Northern Ireland Attend The College Alliance International Conference in Belfast

South Eastern Regional College (SERC), along with the other Further Education Colleges in Northern Ireland, recently participated in The College Alliance International Conference. 

Established in 2017 and led by the Association of Colleges, the international conference unites college principals and senior policymakers, providing an event to engage in policy discussions that directly impact the FE sector. The international conference took place over two days at Belfast Metropolitan College’s Titanic Campus and was attended by participants throughout the UK and Ireland. 

This year’s conference looked at opportunities and best practices from across the UK and Ireland, as well as internationally. The theme for this year was how to ‘square the circle’ for tertiary education and discussed providing high quality skills training and learning in the context of environmental responsibilities and significant fiscal pressures. Moira Doherty, Deputy Secretary for the Department for the Economy, delivered a keynote speech highlighting the pivotal role of Further Education in Northern Ireland as a catalyst for industry growth and the development of a skilled workforce. 

Chair of the Further Education College Principals’ Group, Mel Higgins, comments, “The College Alliance’s international conference provides a valuable opportunity to learn and collaborate with other educational providers to collectively develop the sector. We also welcomed the opportunity to showcase the outstanding work of our colleges. We also hope that delegates will take away new models and insights that help them in shaping best practice in an era of challenge.”