EKC Group Becomes South East Excellence Hub
Posted on 22 September 2026East Kent Colleges Group (EKC Group) has been appointed as the South East’s Technical and Vocational Excellence Hub (TVE Hub) by the Association of Colleges (AoC), placing the education provider at the forefront of developing technical and vocational skills across the region.
The appointment recognises EKC Group’s longstanding commitment to delivering high-quality technical education and working closely with employers to equip learners with the skills needed for successful careers.
Operating six further education colleges, including Ashford College, alongside training centres and apprenticeship programmes across Kent, EKC Group will now play a key role in supporting the development of technical and vocational education throughout the South East.
We are delighted to be part of the Technical and Vocational Excellence Hub network. At EKC Group, we believe technical education changes lives when it creates clear pathways into employment, further learning and opportunity. Our Hub approach is simple: by the sector, for the sector, with learners and their futures at the heart of everything we do.
Nick Holbrook-Sutcliffe , EKC Group’s Assistant CEO, Education
As one of only nine Technical and Vocational Excellence Hubs across England, EKC Group will help shape a major national programme designed to support teachers, lecturers and education leaders as new technical and vocational qualifications are introduced. The initiative forms part of the Department for Education-funded Technical and Vocational Professional Development Programme, delivered by the Association of Colleges.
The programme will help education providers prepare for the continued expansion of T Levels, the introduction of new V Levels and revised Level 2 qualifications, ensuring students gain access to high-quality learning pathways that meet evolving industry standards and workforce needs.
Through its role as a Hub, EKC Group will work with schools, colleges, training providers, employers and industry partners across the South East to share expertise, promote best practice and strengthen links between education and industry.
The Technical and Vocational Hubs will sit at the heart of the Technical and Vocational Professional Development Programme, helping build capacity from within the sector and supporting providers to deliver high-quality technical education. We are pleased to welcome EKC Group as one of our regional hub partners.
David Hughes, Chief Principal of the AoC
The new designation is expected to strengthen collaboration between education providers and employers across the South East, helping to address skills needs, support economic growth and ensure the region is equipped to meet future workforce demands.
For businesses across Ashford and Kent, the appointment further reinforces the region’s growing reputation as a centre for skills development, innovation and workforce excellence.
