Thank you for your interest in the role of Independent Governor on the Governing Body of St Helens College.

St Helens College is a very special place in a special part of the country. St Helens College is joined with Knowsley Community College following a merger in 2017, making us one of the largest colleges in the Northwest with a broad and inclusive curriculum and four outstanding campuses based in the heart of St Helens and Knowsley.

Every year, thousands of students join us to achieve their career ambitions, enhance their quality of life and to simply learn something new or spark a new hobby. We are equally proud of our high standards of community and industry engagement, which supports economic growth and social impact.

We are now at an inflexion point in our journey and we are currently reviewing our strategy to set the direction for the next 5-10 years. The Governing Body are responsible for setting the College’s strategic direction with the executive and ensuring that our next strategy supports the development of the College and builds on the success of the previous years.

Despite the financial challenges facing the further education sector and system upheaval, we are optimistic about the future and the improvements and impact we are having, and can increasingly have, across our communities.

We are seeking two exceptional individuals to join us as Independent Governors to strengthen and diversify our board and support the Principal and CEO, Simon Pierce and his team by bringing their insights and experience to bear in helping us to achieve our strategic goals. This is a time of increasing challenge for the further education sector, and though we are open-minded about skills and experience, we are particularly looking for those who bring exceptional experience in legal or financial leadership.

This is a fantastic time to be joining the College and if you have a drive for making a difference and share our passion for further education and its power to create opportunities and change lives for the better, I encourage you to apply for these roles.

St Helens College is one of the largest further and higher education providers in the Northwest of England. We are committed to providing an outstanding student experience, ensuring every student reaches their full potential.  We offer a wide range of courses and training programs with courses ranging from entry-level qualifications to honours and foundation degrees for students of all ages, from school leavers to adults.

Our values

Developed in consultation with our teams, our values define who we are, how we engage with our students, stakeholders and each other and they guide us in the work that we do.

• Ambition – We are committed to raising aspirations and expectations, motivating each other to achieve our full potential. Excellence We commit to being the very best in everything we do and encourage our teams, students and stakeholders to do the same.
• Collaboration – We work together as one team, valuing our different perspectives and consulting with colleagues to achieve our goals.
• Innovation – We actively search for novel ideas, leading technologies and the most effective ways of working that benefit our students, teams and employers.
• Respect – We treat people the way we would expect to be treated, championing difference and diversity and embracing and valuing everyone’s right to have an opinion.
• Trust – We believe in each other, trusting our teams to work with autonomy and integrity.
• Care – We are kind and empathetic to everyone we encounter.

Our strategic plan

The College’s Strategic Plan is founded on six key goals; outstanding student experience, exceptional curriculum, growth, transformed estate, employer of choice, and anchor institution, which provide a framework for more detailed operational activities, transforming the way we work with our students, staff, employers and local communities.

We recognise the significant role we play as an anchor institution in St Helens and Knowsley and the greater economic challenges our communities face post-pandemic. Through strategic partnerships with key organisations and employers, we are focused on contributing to system leadership and addressing employment needs that will not only support economic recovery and growth but will also provide wider employment opportunities for our students. We invite staff, students, and our partners to work with us to help shape our plans and achieve our goals.

You can view our strategic plan here.

Our campuses