Andrew Hooper: From Brixton to Beacon Awards to Boom Training: A Journey Through the Further Education Sector

Introduction

I've been in the sector since 1989.  35 years?!!  In my mid 20's I was asked by the ILEA (how many readers are old enough to remember that?!) to undertake some research into the training needs of ethnic minority businesses in Lambeth, London.  Whilst doing that, one of the colleges (Brixton College) who were coordinating the project asked me to become their Marketing Manager.  The rest is history!

Why did you choose a career in further education?

In truth, I was offered a senior position in a college with very limited experience other than the research I was currently undertaking and the offer was simply too good to refuse!

Tell us about a notable early experience in your career

Working in Brixton in the late 80's where memories of the 1981 riots were still very fresh in people's minds was an incredibly rich experience.  I was also thrown into teaching which was a huge challenge but hugely enjoyable as I helped a number of young black entrepreneurs launch their businesses, some of which went on to achieve huge success.

And then a few short years after starting at Brixton I became involved in the merger of the three south London colleges (Vauxhall, Brixton and South London) and worked very closely with the principal who took on the challenge of making it work (which he did, very successfully!)

How have you developed your career as a leader in further education?

The merger of the Lambeth Colleges meant that I’d moved from a tier 2 (reporting to Principal) to a tier 3 (middle management) post.  I was also ready to move out of London so I applied and was successful in securing a tier 2 post at Totton College in Hampshire where I spent 10 hugely enjoyable (and dare I say successful) years.  However, I struggled to progress from there (even after returning to university to complete an MBA) and my subsequent College experiences were significantly more challenging.

In the meantime I did venture out into the 'real world' and spent three enjoyable years working in the e-learning industry and a further 2 working for a private training provider before deciding in 2014 that it was time to take control of my destiny and set up Boom Training in partnership with Shirley Wolfe and we are still partners 10 years on.

Tell us about some key achievements in your career

In terms of college career, the years at Totton were undoubtedly the most successful.  Projects I ran gained wide recognition and a Beacon Award.  After that, it would have to be establishing Boom Training, making it profitable within 3 months of launch and growing it continually year on year until 2023.  That was a tough one but 2024 is looking much more positive.

What have been the biggest challenges you've faced in your career and how did you overcome them?

Without question the biggest challenge was being instructed to effectively commit fraud by a Principal when I was six weeks into a new post.  And then being made redundant 2 weeks before the end of my first year (at a time when employment protection kicked in after a year).  Luckily I had the support of an outstanding union and the college was forced into offering a substantial redundancy package that paid the mortgage until I was able to find a new role.  As suggested earlier, that wasn’t the only experience of poor leadership I’ve experienced in FE and I do wish there were effective ways to filter out individuals with questionable values, ethics and motivations before they are put into positions that have significant impact on the lives of others.

What are your thoughts on improving the further education sector?

In addition to the comment above about improving leadership in providers themselves:

a more effective mechanism for small providers to influence the development of provision locally and the development of policy at a national level.  Small providers that are well led understand their communities and their needs better than anyone and they should be given the flexibility to meet those needs in the way they consider to be most effective.

Such providers are also very poorly represented in Whitehall where policy development in the last ten years has been plagued by far too many changes of ministerial personnel and a brain drain of civil servants.  Just one example of this is the current state of the Apprenticeship scheme which for me is at the lowest point it’s been in my 25+ years of involvement in it.

There is a massive amount of experience and talent in the provider network, especially smaller providers which is not currently being tapped into.

What advice would you give to aspiring leaders in further education?

Be honest and act with integrity at all times.  Above all, act and behave in a manner which means you can look at yourself in the mirror at the end of your career and say you have no regrets about things you did or said.
Listen.  It’s the hardest skill.  We all hear something different when someone speaks - that’s a fact.  Reflect on what you hear and check you have understood correctly before responding or reacting.

Be as kind and compassionate as you can.  This does not mean avoiding difficult decisions or conversations.  I’ve had to hold plenty of redundancy and dismissal conversations in my time but even in difficult circumstances it can create opportunity for the recipient.  I once received a letter from someone who tracked me down (I’d moved 2 counties away) 3 years after I’d forced them to resign (to avoid dismissal) to thank me and tell me it was the best thing that ever happened to them.

Be resilient.  The above attributes generally mean you’ll be on the receiving end of more than your fair share of unfairness.  That’s the time to remember that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.  Faith in something also helps here.  Things that seem bad at the time often become a positive thing that was ‘meant to be’ when looked back on years later.  Embrace challenges and, whenever you experience them, look for opportunity.

Find out more

You can find Andrew on LinkedIn so connect and follow him there.

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