Parliamentary Events 2008 

AOSEC held three functions in March for college Principals in the South East to meet up with their MPs.  Principals from the Thames Valley, Hampshire and Sussex have all attended events in the House of Commons to discuss issues relating to education and skills policy.

The aim of the functions was to address key matters regarding the Education and Skills Bill as well as the Machinery of Government proposals and the implementation of the Leitch Review of Skills.  The events also provided a welcome opportunity for Principals to discuss local issues effecting colleges in the community and more generally to raise the profile of the FE sector in Westminster.

AOSEC is grateful to Rt Hon Andrew Smith, MP for Oxford East, who hosted the Thames Valley event, Rt Hon Sir George Young Bt, MP for North West Hampshire, who hosted the Hampshire function and Michael (Jabez) Foster DL, MP for Hastings and Rye, who sponsored the Sussex event. 

In total, the three events were attended by 26 colleges and 22 MPs which included various MPs on the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee and Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Select Committee, whose constituencies were in the South East.