About The Education and Training Foundation

Every day, educators and leaders across the Further Education (FE) and Skills sector inspire curiosity, drive progress and empower learners to achieve their potential. The ETF is here to amplify the vital role of the FE and Skills workforce. Working in partnership, we drive professionalism by setting professional standards for the quality of teaching and leadership across the sector. We provide educators with professional development throughout their careers, we champion inclusion, and we embrace change in support of a thriving FE and Skills sector. Together, we are transforming lives and opportunities for learners aged 14 and above. 

We support educators across FE and Skills to help them to achieve their professional development goals for the benefit of learners and employers across England. In doing so, we help to transform the lives of individuals and communities across the country, unleashing potential and benefiting the economy. Our activities include the commissioning and delivery of professional workforce development programmes (e.g. leadership development, T Level professional development, Maths and English enhancement) and the running of the sector’s professional membership body, the Society for Education and Training (SET).  

Our work has three key principles at its heart:

• The first is that we exist for the benefit of learners, something we achieve by improving the professional practice of teachers and leaders in the sector.
• The second is that we exist as a means to an end, not an end in itself. We have no shareholders and make no profit. Everything we do is about helping our fantastic sector unlock the talents and potential of our learners and improving productivity, employability, skills, and educational attainment.
• And the third is that we exist to support professionals to be even better than they already are, identifying excellence and seeking to understand and disseminate it through collaborative practice. Although our work focuses on FE and Skills, we bring in expert challenge and support from outside the sector.

Our Professional Development offer

We have a strong relationship with the Department for Education, which recognises our unique expertise and funds many of the programmes we deliver. That support includes:

• leadership development
• T Level professional development
• maths and English enhancement
• Prevent training
• digital teaching skills

Additional support

As well as professional development programmes, we support recruitment into the sector and provide key data and research. We are also the guardian of the sector’s Professional Standards and home to the professional membership body for the sector, the Society for Education and Training (SET), which supports over 22,000 teachers, trainers and leaders working across diverse roles and settings with a pathway of professional development throughout their careers.

The Society for Education and Training is the largest professional membership body for the Further Education and Training sector and is responsible for the awarding of both Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status and Advanced Teacher Status (ATS).

SET is committed to the continuing professional development of teachers and trainers in the sector. Membership provides credibility and recognition for teachers and trainers skills and abilities.

Mission

Our mission is to support the continuing transformation of our country’s technical and vocational education system by ensuring the sector has world-class teachers, trainers, assessors, and leaders. This leads to ever-improving learner outcomes, a better skilled workforce and a stronger economy, country, and society.

Values

• Responsive: We listen and provide effective solutions
• Striving for Excellence: We aim for the highest standards in everything we do
• Inclusive: We reflect your views in our thinking and in our actions
• Expert: We base our decisions on evidence and expertise
• Trustworthy: We are open, honest and act with integrity

Our Governance

The ETF’s Board are the charity’s trustees. The Board oversees the work of the ETF. It sets strategic direction; ensures proper financial and governance arrangements are in place; and ensures that the ETF remains focused on delivering successful outcomes for its beneficiaries.

In addition to the Board of Trustees who oversee the success of the organisation, as a charity the ETF also has Members. The Members of any charity have an important role in holding trustees to account and providing a degree of challenge to a charity’s Board (they are akin to shareholders in a profit making company but have no financial interest). Members provide strategic insight into the challenges and opportunities facing the sector and have a meaningful role in the stewardship of the ETF. Externally, the Members advocate for the ETF and spread awareness of the organisation’s work helping build understanding and support.

The Members are representative organisations who have a unique stake in ensuring that FE professionals get the support and development they need and deserve. The six Members are:

• HOLEX(Founding Member)
• The Association of Colleges(Founding Member)
• The Association of Employment and Learning Providers(Founding Member)
• National Union of Students
• Natspec
• TUC

Strategy

Our strategy Together we transform sets out our plans to support everyone working in the sector by championing the vital role of educators and leaders in transforming the lives of learners aged 14 and over. The new strategy places sector voices at its heart and reflects the feedback and input from an extensive listening exercise involving sector organisations and teachers, trainers and leaders from across the FE and Skills sector.

Our four strategic goals are to:

1. Drive professionalism
2. Improve teaching and learning
3. Champion inclusion
4. Enable sector change

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

In November 2022, the ETF, alongside WorldSkills UK and the Association of Colleges and others pledged to ensure that technical and vocational education pathways are made accessible and inclusive to all.

• As a commissioning body, committed to ensuring any contracts we award are to suppliers that can prove their work is accessible to all and encourage a more inclusive and diverse workforce.
• As a collaborative player, working with the sector to create a more diverse teaching workforce.
• As an employer, committed to an open and fair People Strategy that ensures all staff have equal opportunities to develop and excel.