Strategy, Mission and Values
Turning vision into action.
Introduction
This is the Strategic Plan for Blackpool and The Fylde College (B&FC) for 2025-30. Our College plays a crucial role in delivering further and higher education to the residents and businesses of Blackpool, the Fylde Coast, Lancashire and beyond. We serve a dual role by supporting individuals to acquire the useful skills, knowledge and behaviours which they need to have an active life in the world of work, and by making sure this is aligned with the needs of employers and businesses so that they can grow.
The 2025-30 period will be one of great opportunity and many challenges. We have landmark projects to deliver, including the Multiversity set to open in Blackpool town centre, and our continuing leadership of the Lancashire and Cumbria Institute of Technology. We have a strong higher education provision with degree awarding powers and an outstanding track record in championing new technical qualifications such as T Levels and apprenticeship standards. We are currently undertaking innovative work on new higher technical qualifications - and we have some of the most advanced technical learning facilities in the country.
The context in which B&FC works is challenging. Blackpool, the Fylde Coast and Lancashire all have economic strengths and plans to build on these. Yet they also have improvements to make in terms of educational outcomes, higher paid employment, and communities and families where outcomes across a range of measures are weak and opportunity is limited. There are optimistic and encouraging plans, both in Blackpool and Lancashire, for regeneration, renewal and economic development. But there is still work needed to unlock private investment and, in the meantime, public finances are likely to be limited.
It is highly likely that there will be significant policy changes during this period across all aspects of B&FC's core business: higher education, apprenticeships, 16-18 study programmes, and adult learning. And the prospects for B&FC's commercial work will very much be shaped by the success of the wider economy. It becomes even more important, therefore, that B&FC has a very clear sense of its purpose and its contribution. This Strategic Plan sets out the broad framework within which we will build on our well-established local, regional, national and global reputation for excellence in technical education and training - and how we will champion the role of technical learning as a solution for Blackpool and the Fylde Coast, for Lancashire, and for the country as a whole.
Alun Francis, OBE
Chief Executive
Our Vision
There are lots of things we want to do brilliantly. But top of our list is setting the standard for technical learning in further and higher education.
Our Mission
Our mission is to give our local community - and the people and businesses within it - the opportunity to thrive.
Our CAREER Values
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Community
Our priorities are set by the economic and social needs of the communities we work with locally, regionally, nationally and internationally and we align our provision to ensure we are making the greatest impact.
Authentic
We are focused on doing the right thing, so that our students and apprentices learn useful and relevant skills, knowledge and behaviours that employers want and that can lead to meaningful, well-paid employment.
Relentlessly Optimistic
We set high expectations for all our students and apprentices and believe that everyone has the potential to learn and improve their prospects.
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Everyone included
We aim to extend opportunity to each individual learner, irrespective of their background, and to encourage our colleagues, students, apprentices and employers to appreciate and understand differences.
Excellence
We promote and encourage excellence in every aspect of our work, for ourselves, for our students and apprentices, and for our employers and partners.
Respectful
We are committed to encouraging self-respect in every individual and treating everyone with consideration and dignity.
Our Context
B&FC Students and Apprentices
The 13,000 students and apprentices who study at B&FC at any point in time, are from a range of backgrounds, with wide differences in prior attainment, and often widely different interests and ambitions.
Our Place
B&FC is a place-based organisation which has its roots in Blackpool and on the Fylde Coast. However, its provision extends beyond the local area to regional, national and even global labour markets.
Local - Blackpool and the Fylde Coast
B&FC remains focused on preparing local students for local employment and has always delivered programmes reflecting the area's long-term skills priorities. Historically, these included maritime, hospitality and tourism but have since expanded to encompass a much wider range of sectors including - but not limited to - public sector, construction, retail and engineering.
Blackpool's economy is growing, particularly in the visitor sector, but the area still faces unique challenges. In response, Blackpool has set out a clear regeneration strategy, driven by Blackpool Council and the Blackpool Pride of Place Partnership. Key priorities include town centre and housing renewal, reducing health inequalities, improving education and employment outcomes, supporting renewable energy, developing the Enterprise Zone, and enhancing cultural investment. B&FC is committed to aligning with these goals to support the area's ongoing transformation.
Lancashire
Many B&FC students go on to work across Lancashire, where key sectors such as manufacturing, construction, transport, agriculture, health and social care, IT and digital, and low carbon industries offer significant employment opportunities. The region also boasts specialist economic hubs, particularly in defence and cybersecurity.
National and Global
Whilst we are passionate about contributing to the local economy, we also prepare students and apprentices for careers both nationally and internationally. Our curriculum is designed to support truly diverse career options whilst also offering specialisms of national and global significance, such as engineering and maritime and offshore programmes. Many students choose B&FC for its specialist provision, which is unavailable elsewhere and demonstrates our role as a centre of excellence in these fields.
Our Curriculum
Built around the 15 occupational pathways outlined in the National Skills Plan (with the addition of Maritime and Offshore), B&FC's curriculum is designed to meet the evolving needs of local, regional, national and global labour markets. It reflects our position as the sole provider of technical and professional education on the Fylde Coast with learning provision from entry-level qualifications to Level 7.
This approach ensures that our curriculum meets both current and future workforce demands, equipping students with the skills to succeed in a wide range of industries.
Our Pathways
+ Agriculture, Animal Care and Environment
+ Business Administration and Management
+ Care Services
+ Catering, Hospitality, Travel and Tourism
+ Construction
+ Creative and Design
+ Digital
+ Education and Early Years
+ Engineering and Manufacturing
+ Hair and Beauty
+ Healthcare and Science
+ Legal, Finance and Accounting
+ Maritime and Offshore
+ Protective Services
+ Sales, Marketing and Procurement
+ Sport and Leisure
Our Educational Principles
Inclusive Learning, Teaching and Assessment is Non-Negotiable
We are obstacle shifters, bump removers and glass ceiling breakers. When we come up against a brick wall to learning we find a way over it, round it or even through it. Because we believe everyone should have the chance to realise their potential regardless of their background or ability. That's why we are dedicated to delivering an inclusive learning experience for all our students and apprentices.
Technical and Professional Education Leads to the Best Career Outcomes
We think the quickest and most effective route into high-paying, fulfilling careers is through technical and professional education post-16. So, whilst academic education has a role to play, it can't compete when it comes to career outcomes and progression especially in technical and professional pathways.
Practical Skills are as Important as Theoretical Knowledge
The world needs doers as well as thinkers and we recognise the value of both. We also know that some students excel in practical environments while others thrive with theoretical study. Our curriculum is designed to integrate both: ensuring students and apprentices are equipped with the technical skills and job-specific knowledge required for the workplace, alongside a strong theoretical foundation.
Everyone can Achieve a Good Career
For us, it's not where you start that matters - it's where you want to go and how we can help you get there. So, whilst we never underestimate the importance of qualifications, we don't limit entry based solely on academic achievements. Equally, we don't measure your success by how quickly you achieve it. Some people might sprint to the top but we're just as proud of those who take the journey at a slower pace. Everyone deserves the chance to realise their career aspirations - and we'll cheer you on regardless.
Our Six Strategic Objectives
To bring our Vision and Mission to life, we have defined six strategic objectives that serve as the foundation for our future direction.
It's really another way of saying what we're going to do to deliver on our big promises - a bit like an educational Sat Nav to keep us on track.
Each goal is designed to help us meet the evolving needs of our learners and the labour market, while driving growth, fostering innovation and creating opportunities for all.
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1. To be a sustainable anchor institution
The college will be sustainable by meeting local needs, running effective provision and growing, where appropriate. It is an anchor institution with a commitment to serving and improving its local and regional communities and places as a good employer, a provider and purchaser of goods and services, and as a partner of private, public and voluntary organisations.
2. Deliver an exceptional occupational curriculum
Our curriculum is designed to meet labour market needs and to provide students and apprentices with an escalator of qualifications which move them from their starting point to their chosen occupational outcome. The curriculum is relevant, progression-focused, there are no "dead ends", and it's delivered in forms which are most suited to the occupational pathway in question.
Once in the workforce, students and apprentices are encouraged to become lifelong learners to support their continued career progression or transition into other fields of employment in a rapidly evolving labour market.
3. Build expertise through investment in partnerships people and facilities
Technical education and training is a specialist form of learning that demands strong partnerships with businesses, access to industry-standard facilities and teaching from expert practitioners. These professionals bring up-to-date industry knowledge, teach and assess effectively, and understand the needs of their students and apprentices. At Blackpool and The Fylde College, we are committed to investing in and developing our partnerships and internal expertise to deliver exceptional outcomes.
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4. Promote excellence, high-quality learning and social mobility
B&FC is committed to achieving excellence, driving social mobility and delivering an exceptional learner experience, with learners at the heart of everything that we do. We aim to ensure that our systems and practices are comparable with the best and that our educational approaches are effective, evidence based and high quality.
Our overall aim is to maximise retained knowledge, skills and behaviours for all our students and apprentices, and to support progression for them so that they improve their occupational outcomes and income.
5. Build a strong reputation
B&FC aims to establish a strong reputation for outstanding technical education and training at local, regional and national levels, and to advocate for and promote the role of technical learning.
Our goal is to be recognised by local communities, employers and stakeholders as experts in our field, and to ensure that the transformational role of technical learning is widely understood.
6. Provide a system leadership
B&FC recognises that it does not work in isolation, but is part of a system of public, private and voluntary provision as both a partner and a leader in this system. This means that B&FC is an active partner in seeking to improve the system; helping its communities to achieve better outcomes and provision in Blackpool and the Fylde Coast, Lancashire and beyond to work more effectively and efficiently. Our provision covers an unusual range of areas, from education through to economic development, and B&FC actively engages wherever it can help to make a difference.