The Principal and Chief Exec of Lancaster & Morecambe College is to step down, it has been announced.
Wes Johnson will become the new Chief Executive and Principal of Myerscough College and University Centre later this year.
Mr Johnson will take over from Alison Robinson, who is retiring in August after what will be more than five years in charge of the college, based near Garstang.
‘’It is an honour and a privilege to be appointed as the next Principal of Myerscough College,'' Mr Johnson said.
‘’As a passionate advocate for colleges, the North-West and specialist land-based education the opportunity to lead the next chapter of Myerscough’s success is hugely exciting.
‘’Playing a role in Myerscough’s future not only strengthens my passion for agriculture and land-based education, but also embraces a heartfelt family connection as my wife and two sons all hugely benefitted as former students.
Wes Johnson has been in charge at Lancaster & Morecambe College since April 2017
‘’I thoroughly enjoyed my time and Lancaster & Morecambe College, a very special college at the heart of its community. I’m sure the College will continue to thrive and support its community in maximising the great opportunities ahead, especially Eden Project Morecambe, a project very close to my heart.
‘’As an advocate for technical and professional education I look forward to continuing in my role as Chair of The Lancashire Colleges (TLC), bringing together all twelve of Lancashire’s fantastic colleges.’’
Wes has more than 25 years of experience in education, with many of those as a senior leader in both general and specialist further and higher education institutions across the north of England.
He became campus principal at Newton Rigg College, Penrith, in 2012, a position which was expanded to include Askham Bryan’s centres in the North-East, before he took charge of Lancaster and Morecambe College in April 2017.
Under his leadership, he steered the college from an Ofsted rating of ‘requires improvement’ to overall ‘good’ within two years, where inspectors praised a ‘clear vision for the college’ and how they had ‘reshaped many elements of the curriculum offer’ to be more work-focused.
Also during his time at Lancaster and Morecambe, he created a Director of Employer Engagement and Apprenticeships role, to get feedback about the college’s offer, to tailor programmes accordingly.
Career possibilities at nearby Heysham Nuclear Power Station led the college to adjust its engineering qualification to recognise the specific skills needed locally.
Under his leadership, LMC has been working in partnership with Eden since 2018, establishing an Eden Learning Hub on campus and helping to shape the innovative Morecambe Bay Curriculum, with local schools, colleges and universities across the region.
The college won an award from the Association of Colleges for setting up the ‘Morecambe Bay Curriculum’. In response to Eden Project North, now Eden Project Morecambe, the college designed a cross-sector curriculum with primary and secondary schools around climate change, sustainability and eco-citizenship. It links to the college’s new ‘Eden traineeship’, which aims to help learners gain entry to a range of jobs emerging locally.
He also became a Director of Lancaster & District Chamber of Commerce in 2018, and is Chair of The Lancashire Colleges organisation.
Allan Foster, Chair of the Myerscough Corporation, said: "We are delighted to have recruited Wes Johnson, an outstanding college leader to build on the considerable achievements of the departing Chief Executive Officer & Principal, Alison Robinson.
‘’Wes is an inspirational educator who completely shares Myerscough's mission of delivering innovative, accessible and inclusive opportunities to learners and employers in the land-based, sporting and engineering sectors.
‘’His experience as Principal at Lancaster & Morecambe College and in the land-based sector at Newton Rigg and Craven Colleges is an ideal background from which to lead Myerscough in its ambitious future. He has also made a major contribution to Lancashire-wide further and higher education as Chair of the Lancashire Colleges group.''
Mr Johnson will take over at Myerscough College and University Centre, near Garstang, later this year
Mr Johnson will succeed Alison Robinson, who first joined Myerscough in January 2014, initially as Vice Principal, before she became Chief Executive and Principal in April 2018, overseeing a period of enormous growth, campus development and quality improvement at Myerscough, and playing a key role in ensuring the College has enhanced its position regionally, nationally and internationally.
‘’It has been a real privilege working with so many great staff and learners,'' said Mrs Robinson
‘’Our mission statement of ‘inspiring excellence’ is embodied in everything we do, and we have a real ambition to become an outstanding college.
‘’It has been an honour to lead such a dedicated and passionate group of staff, with every individual, demonstrating real commitment to delivering our philosophy of making all learners the very best that they can be.
‘’This now presents a great opportunity for Wes, as new Chief Executive and Principal to drive the College further forward, as we strive for continued success.’’
‘’I congratulate Wes on his appointment to the role, and know that he will lead Myerscough to achieve recognition as an outstanding College, maintaining and growing its position as one of the country’s leading providers of land-based, sport and STEM education.''
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