Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Anne Milton to address delegates at Association of Colleges’ conference

Two big names have today been added to the line-up for the Association of Colleges Annual Conference. Broadcast legend, Krishnan Guru-Murthy and the Minister for Skills and Apprenticeships, Rt Hon Anne Milton join Andreas Schleicher, Director of Education and Skills at the OECD, Amanda Spielman, HM’s Chief Inspector at Ofsted, and Shakira Martin, President of the National Union of Students. The biggest event in further education, taking place for more than 20 years, this conference will see speakers and delegates focus on the key role that colleges play in driving transformation – personally, locally and nationally. Krishnan Guru-Murphy has covered six British general elections and interviewed Prime Ministers from around the world. In both 2010 and 2014, he was nominated as Presenter of the Year in the Royal Television Society Journalism Awards. Anne Milton was appointed Minister of State for Education in June last year. Outside of politics, she is a trained nurse and worked for the NHS for 25 years. David Hughes, Chief Executive, Association of Colleges said, “Every year, the AoC Conference is the one event not to be missed. This year is no exception. Given the recent #LoveOurColleges activity, and frustration at the budget, this is sure to be a lively and timely conference. “Krishnan has vast knowledge of the political sphere and current affairs and I’m sure delegates will be delighted to hear his views on the further education sector. It will also be great to hear from Skills Minister Anne Milton, about the government’s approach to colleges. Following a disappointing Budget for colleges we will want to discuss how we can influence next year’s spending review.” This year, more than 1,000 delegates are expected to attend the two-day conference. They will get the chance to see more than 90 exhibitors, as well as hear from over 60 speakers. There are also over 50 smaller workshops on show where innovative and best practice will be on display. The day before conference starts, we will also be showcasing our ITN premiere, a programme partnership between AoC and ITN Productions, showcasing some of the ways that colleges are transforming the lives of more than two million people across England and how vital colleges are to the future of the British economy in the 21st century, as well as announcing the winners of the Student of the Year competition. Sima Kotecha, journalist and a recent AoC Gold Award winner will be presenting prizes to the winners of the Student of the Year competition. For more information on how to book a place, visit: http://www.aocannualconference.co.uk/