AMiE is a joint venture between the Association For College Management (ACM) and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL). Below we provide some background information on the two organisations...

ACM

ACM is the trade union and professional association representing managers working in further education and other post 16 learning and skills provision. It was formed in the early 90s, and has grown from small beginnings to become a respected voice within the sector.

Who Joins ACM

ACM’s 4000 members are mostly managers in FE colleges, and include college principals, deputy and vice principals, heads of department, programme managers, business support managers, IT managers, finance directors, and estates managers to name just some. Many members have teaching roles, while others have a particular business function. Members can therefore have either an academic, business or support role.

To be eligible for membership a person must have a responsibility for people, processes or resources.

Values and Beliefs

ACM’s reputation and influence stems from its professional approach to individual representation, collective bargaining, and education policy. It places great importance in its values and beliefs. These include

An education service that is student focused.
Active consultation and negotiation, collaboration and the reduction of confrontation.
The highest quality curriculum delivered by the most effective methods.
Recognising, utilising and developing the talents of all staff engaged in the service.
An inclusive education and training service providing lifelong learning, wider participation and equality of opportunity.
Personal and professional conduct of the highest standard.
Training, developing, valuing and appropriately rewarding its workforce.

Profile

ACM is well respected and well known organisation within further education. It contributes regularly to education policy debates, responding to government consultations and participating in various sectoral committees, groups and organisations.

Although only a small trade union, ACM plays an active role in the TUC and is represented on various bodies including the staffside of the Teachers Superannuation Working Party.

National and Local Recognition

ACM is recognised nationally in England by the Association of Colleges and in Wales by Fforwm (the Welsh employers organisation). Locally, ACM is recognised by a large and growing number of individual colleges. Currently, ACM’s general secretary Peter Pendle is Vice Chair of the trade union side of the National Joint Forum in England.

Structure

ACM members elect a national Council that meets once a term to decide strategy and approve policy matters. Outside of Council meetings executive decisions are taken by a President’s committee made up of a representative group of Council members.

There are three subcommittees of Council: Wales; Employment and Services; and Education.

Affiliations

ACM is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress and the General Federation of Trade Unions; and is a member of the Network of Black Professionals.

AMiE Section

Following the discussions with ATL to create AMiE, ACM set up a national AMIE section comprising its entire membership. As such, the services provided to ACM members and the organisational structure are the same as that of AMiE itself. Put simply, AMiE has taken on the role previously undertaken by ACM.

Legally however, it is ACM that is the entity registered for VAT, that hold the trade union certificate of independence, and is affiliated to the TUC.

ATL

ATL, the education union, uses the experiences of its members to influence education policy across the UK. By sitting around the table with government and employers, we make a positive impact on pay, conditions and career development.

Since its establishment in 1884, ATL has evolved into a modern union currently representing 160,000 members across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Our members are teachers, supply teachers, heads, lecturers, managers and support staff in maintained and independent sector schools and colleges.

For more information please visit the ATL website.