Alun Francis OBE
Biography
Alun Francis is the Chair of the Social Mobility Commission and Principal and Chief Executive of Blackpool and The Fylde College.
Blackpool and the Fylde College is an award winning organisation and is one of the largest and highest performing further education colleges in the country. It has degree awarding powers, a wide choice of T levels and is a Centre of Excellence for World Skills. It is leading the Lancashire and Cumbria Institute of Technology, and is pioneering a new approach to Further Education and Higher Education delivery with Blackpool Council, called “Multiversity Blackpool” which sits at the heart of local regeneration plans.
Alun has thirteen years of experience in further education, having previously led Oldham College. Prior to this he had a varied career which has included a range of public services, local government, area-based regeneration, youth work and education, including primary, secondary and higher education. He has a strong interest in the economics of what is now referred to as “levelling up” and sees FE colleges as making a strong contribution to addressing this challenge.
He received an Order of the Order of the British Empire for service to education in the 2021 New Year’s Honours List.
Chair - Social Mobility Commission
Responsibilities are:
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leading the commission, setting its agenda and chairing meetings to provide the best possible progress report on the social mobility strategies and targets
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ensuring the commission responds appropriately, effectively, and in a timely manner to requests for advice by ministers
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being an advocate for the social mobility agenda: holding to account and challenging key institutions in areas such as higher education and the professions
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building and sustaining effective working relationships with a range of stakeholders, including ministers, senior government officials, representatives from local communities and experts in the field
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being a public spokesperson for the commission, and ensuring active engagement by all members in the business of the commission
Previous roles in government
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Interim Chair - Social Mobility Commission
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Deputy Chair - Social Mobility Commission