UNLOC STUDENT GOVERNOR CHANGEMAKER PROGRAMME

Unloc has long championed, supported and invested in Student Governors across the FE sector. We’re excited to be taking that support to new heights, as we kickstart our new and improved offer – the Student Governor Changemaker Programme. 

The programme not only prepares students for their roles as governors, but takes them on a personal development changemaker journey. We won’t just throw knowledge at them; but instead really support student governors on their next steps, whilst empowering them to be the best they can be in their roles – both as governors and future leaders.

We are looking to provide the most comprehensive and expansive personal development programme possible, by giving them access to four amazing opportunities showcased below.

Student Governors can attend one of these specialist day-long events, hosted in three different locations across the year (Cambridge – late October, Bristol – November and Leeds – January),  plus an online equivalent for those unable to travel, including:

1. Inspiring speakers from the worlds of governance, big business and education.  /   2. Key skills workshops to prepare students for their roles as Student Governors   /   3. Opportunities for networking and personal action planning

These summits will build on any Induction sessions they might take advantage of, building the tangible, key skills required to have impact and drive change including:

1. Effective Questioning with real-world scenarios: asking the key questions that have impact.   /    2. Being Heard: How to get your voice heard in meetings.   /   3. Mock Board meeting: Putting skills into practice.   /   4. Leadership in action: hearing from the worlds of Governance, Big Business and Education   /   5. Next steps: Create an Individual Action Plan for you to help create change.

Student Governors will have access to a series of 3 online masterclasses focused on developing students’ wider skill-sets as student leaders and changemakers.

Each session will last 90 minutes with a guest speaker and accompanying workshop topics, including Finding Your Leadership Style, Communication, Motivation and Influencing Others and Running Effective Campaigns.

As a component of each session, a range of guest speakers from a broad range of industries will be invited to share their own leadership journey to inspire and motivate students.

The Student Governor Destinations Conference is an optional one-day event in London, held towards the end of the academic year, exploring ‘what next?’ in their Changemaker journey – whether that’s taking their learnings into a second term, or utilising all they’ve learnt as a Student Governor post-College. 

They will hear from ex-Student Governors turned changemakers at a national and global level; exploring how to maximise their impact in the next phase of their lives.

This includes access to our suite of professional videos and resources that Governance Professionals can use to promote the opportunity to become a Student Governor, and Student Governor’s can use to learn more about the role.

When will date(s), times and exact locations be released?

All dates, times and locations for the Changemaker Summits and Digital Masterclasses will be confirmed by email by the end of September. This is contingent on a sufficient number of Colleges signing up by the deadline.

Will you be offering a digital alternative for those who wish not to travel?

Absolutely – we’ll offer an alternative Digital version of our Student Governor Changemaker Summits, and all of our Digital Masterclasses are hosted online too.

What does the College need to contribute?

Thanks to significant subsidy from Unloc’s existing partners and funders, colleges only need to contribute £195 for the year-long programme (in line with previous College contributions), based on a two-year commitment (24/25 and 25/26 academic years). Invoices for College contributions will automatically be released to colleges at the end of September each academic year. 

How does Unloc’s programme align with other Student Governor offers?

Unloc’s offer is unique; it is designed to build student governor’s skills, confidence and personal development whilst inspiring them to be changemakers. This compliments the limited-number of ETF Induction Sessions that are offered, and other Student Governor networking activities. 

How can we access Unloc’s digital resources and promotional films?

These are all hosted on Unloc’s Student Governor Hub – you can also request a copy by emailing [email protected]