When Sixth Form Colleges became independent corporations in 1993, they wanted to preserve the benefits of national collective bargaining with trade unions representing teaching and support staff. The Sixth Form Colleges’ Employers’ Forum developed with the unions model contracts and pay and conditions documents for colleges to adopt.

The Forum steadily developed from that core function. At the SFCF’s inception, its membership formed part of the larger Further Education sector, but Sixth Form Colleges required a distinct voice to represent and advocate the specific arguments and issues revolving around dedicated, stand-alone 16-19 institutions.

So the Forum developed a lobbying role and now meets regularly with politicians, government officials and the media to explain the challenges facing Sixth Form Colleges and to propose policy changes that can make a demonstrably-excellent sector even more beneficial to the communities it serves.

With the passing of the Apprenticeship, Skills, Children and Learning Act in 2009, Sixth Form Colleges emerged as distinct and unique corporations.  As they develop their own and forge fresh relationships with government, local authorities and the Young People’s Learning Agency, the Sixth Form Colleges’ Forum, under its first Chief Executive, David Igoe, will become an increasingly dynamic and creative organisation, ensuring the advocacy, advice and support its members need to continue to deliver ever higher levels of performance.