Protecting what we love: strengthening the communities at the heart of our colleges
When colleges invest in people, they build the digital confidence, trust and partnerships that help their communities thrive in a rapidly changing world.
As someone who for 34 years has worked in, and continues to support, transformation across colleges, the one constant is that colleges thrive because of their communities. The relationships you build — with learners, colleagues, employers and local partners — are what make your college a vital anchor to people and places.
Colleges Week, hosted by the Association of Colleges (AoC), is a moment to celebrate that impact. One of this year’s themes, “Your college community”, highlights the role of staff, partnerships and local relationships in delivering Skills for All, this year’s overarching theme.
Recent conversations with leaders, teachers, and digital teams highlight one clear theme: it’s people who make the difference. Technology matters, but trust, shared purpose, and confidence allow colleges to thrive. Strengthening relationships increasingly means strengthening the digital foundations that support them — when digital confidence grows, communities grow too.
That’s why so much of our work focuses on building capability from the inside out, helping staff and students feel confident, capable and supported as they navigate rapidly evolving tools and expectations. Our people before platforms approach reflects this: digital transformation succeeds when people feel able to choose, use and adapt technology in ways that align with their practice.
To help colleges take practical steps, Natasha Veenendaal, head of community engagement at Jisc, has developed a practical guide on activating community-led digital skills, with approaches, examples and ideas to help build confidence and strengthen connections across your college community.
That spirit is also reflected in Jisc’s community champions programme. Each year, we recognise individuals who go above and beyond to share knowledge, build connections and support colleagues across the sector. Our 2026 champions exemplify what happens when expertise is paired with generosity, ensuring great digital experiences are shared, not siloed.
As Natasha reflected when announcing this year's champions:
“It is a privilege to see the programme grow year on year and to celebrate individuals who go above and beyond for their communities.”
Digital confidence strengthens community
Digital capability is now woven through college life. It shapes how you teach, how learners engage and how leaders make decisions. When people feel confident using digital tools, it builds resilience and ambition across the whole organisation.
Through our community champions programme, I see the difference this makes. These colleagues support others, share what works, and create confident, connected environments where innovation feels possible rather than overwhelming.
You can see this clearly at Burton and South Derbyshire College. Using our discovery tool and essential digital skills question set, the team took time to understand confidence levels of both staff and learners, then acted decisively on what they found.
They invested in focused development, supported platform champions and improved onboarding so that no one felt left behind. Staff now use tools such as Padlet, Canva and Canvas with greater confidence and consistency. Learners benefit from stronger engagement, personalised experiences, and the higher-level digital skills they need to progress.
Zoe Tierney, learning technologist and one of our 2026 champions, reflects on this cultural shift in our recent podcast on empowering digital confidence in FE. Her insight echoes what many of you tell me: sustainable change happens when it is grounded in trust and shared purpose.
Partnership that protects progress
This Colleges Week also marks an important milestone in our partnership with the AoC. For me, this is about what we can achieve together and how we give you clearer, more joined-up support.
Every college starts from a different place. Every community has its own priorities. By combining our digital expertise with the AoC’s national reach, we’re creating stronger alignment across the sector. That means you can move forward with confidence, knowing the guidance and tools available reflect your context.
Cyber resilience is central to this shared effort. We’ve seen how quickly disruption can happen. Colleges need to innovate with confidence, not hesitation. Protecting staff, learners and data is not just technical — it protects trust, the foundation of every strong college community.
Leading artificial intelligence and data with purpose
Artificial intelligence now features in almost every conversation I have with college leaders. Many of you describe a mix of excitement and caution, and I believe that balance is healthy.
To help colleges navigate this fast-moving landscape, we launched leading AI in colleges: a strategic framework at the AoC conference in November 2025. It provides clarity and structure, supporting you to embed AI in ways that are ethical, transparent and aligned to your goals. AI should enhance teaching and learning, not distract from it. It can speed up feedback, reduce administrative burden and help learners build skills for higher learning and the world of work.
Alongside AI, data maturity is becoming increasingly important. The most confident colleges are not simply collecting data — they are using insight deliberately to inform decisions, target support and close gaps.
When colleges build clear and confident data practices, they equip staff with the insight needed to safeguard learners, identify vulnerabilities earlier and respond quickly to emerging risks. Leaders gain a sharper picture of engagement, attainment and digital capability, enabling earlier intervention and more strategic planning.
Mature data practice also reduces pressure on teams. Streamlined processes improve visibility, free up staff time for student support, enhance wellbeing, and lay the groundwork for responsible AI and predictive analytics.
Used thoughtfully, data strengthens inclusion and resilience, ensuring no learner is overlooked and no opportunity is missed. Strong data practice is not just about efficiency, it’s about equity, protection and long-term confidence.
Stronger together, beyond the gates
No college thrives alone. You thrive through partnership — with employers, local organisations, and each other.
Moments such as Digifest 2026 create space to share ideas, test new thinking, and build networks that extend beyond a single event. That collaborative spirit sits at the heart of Colleges Week and sustainable digital transformation.
This week, I encourage you to pause and recognise the champions in your own organisation, the people quietly building skills, trust and confidence every day.
Technology will continue to evolve. What will make the greatest difference is how confidently and responsibly we choose to lead it, together.
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About the author
An experienced C-Suite executive serving the further education and skills sector over four decades, I am the UK executive lead for Jisc’s FES policy, stakeholder engagement and services. I lead on Jisc’s strategy for supporting member FES institutions with their digital transformation, focused on thought leadership, enhanced professional practice, data insights, business optimisation and ultimately elevating the student and staff digital experience. I also provide executive leadership on artificial intelligence, advisory and training services for both further and higher education; strategic oversight for FES with the Department for Education in England, the Scottish Funding Council, Medr (Welsh Government) and the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland on EdTech policy, digital infrastructure planning and investment. Strategic leadership and influence to meet sector wide challenges also focuses my time on the strategic engagement and collaboration with other relevant agencies and digital suppliers.