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About us

Association of Colleges is the national voice for further education, sixth form, tertiary and specialist colleges in England. We are a not-for-profit membership organisation established in 1996 by colleges, for colleges. Our members make up more than 90% of the sector - educating and training 1.6 million people each year.

As a membership body we:

  • Influence government and local and national policymakers to create the environment for strong and sustainable colleges at the heart of the economy
  • Provide high quality professional support, advice and intelligence to meet the needs of every member
  • Champion and enhance the reputation of colleges, leaders, staff and students.

We are committed to:

  • Being open and transparent, working with, and for, all members
  • Setting clear long-term priorities for our work with robust measures and accountability processes through our governance structure.
  • Providing all members with a seamless service that is professional, proactive, and responsive across the whole organisation
  • Working in partnership with a range of other organisations that can support and add value to our work.

The AoC group includes:

AoC Jobs - the first and only stop for anybody looking for a new job in further education.

AoC Sport - leading the development of sport and physical activity in 16+ education.

AoC Charitable Trust - promoting the very best in FE with some of the biggest and most respected awards in education, including the AoC Beacon Awards, AoC Student of the Year Awards and FE Hall of Fame.