A consortium of colleges and government bodies has been appointed to run the new college being set up by the government to develop leadership skills within organisations working in the learning and skills sector.

The Centre for Excellence in Leadership, which is due to receive around £14.5 million of government funding over the next three years, will be run by a consortium led by Lancaster University Management School and the Learning and Skills Development Agency and supported by Ashridge and the Open University for this initial period.

The creation of the new college has been led by the Standards Unit, set up by the government with the aim of boosting the performance of the learning and skills sector’s workforce and to improve standards of teaching and learning. Estelle Morris, then Secretary of State announced the initial plans for a leadership college in November 2001, with a consultation on the project made public in February last year. Organisations interested in getting involved with the scheme were then invited to tender towards the end of 2002.

The aim of the college is to offer "something for everyone who has, or aspires to a leadership role in their organisation, regardless of their current job role or level of responsibility." In the first year the college plans to deliver a new programme on educational leadership, designed specifically to support professional senior managers in the education sector, however detailed information on the training courses available has yet to be published, despite there being just four months until the first study programmes are due to launch this November.

An accompanying website, www.inspirelearning.org.uk, is planned to develop into a portal to deliver training programmes and accompany face-to-face deliver.

Speaking about the launch of the college, Alan Johnson, the Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education said: "Leadership and management are key to the success of any institution and are essential to our Success for All reform programmes for the learning and skills sector. The new Centre for Excellence in Leadership will deliver high quality learning, support and advice to leaders and prospective leaders in the sector....The college will provide training programmes which can be delivered in a range of ways to suit every learner. There will be a mix of on-line, distance and face-to-face teaching and there will be scope for structuring programmes and modes of delivery so they can be tailored to the individual."