Former West Thames College CEO and Principal Tracy Aust OBE has been appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Greater London, recognising her longstanding contribution to Further Education and communities across the capital.
The appointment is a significant honour. Deputy Lieutenants support the Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London, the King’s representative in the capital, in carrying out official duties. They represent the Crown at civic and community events, support local organisations and initiatives, and help strengthen connections between communities and the Lieutenancy.
For Tracy, the new role provides an opportunity to continue her commitment to education, partnership working and community engagement – values which were central to her time at West Thames College.
“The role of Deputy Lieutenant (DL)of Greater London supports the Lord Lieutenant of Greater London by representing the Crown, assisting at official events, and serving local communities. I am very excited to begin. I am particularly looking forward to the community engagement aspect of the role, acting as a bridge between local charities, schools and colleges, the armed forces, and the Lieutenancy network. Connectivity and relationship building were always integral to my role as CEO at West Thames and I am looking forward to continuing to support local communities as a DL.”
An OBE for services to Further Education
Tracy's appointment follows her OBE, which she received earlier this year at Windsor Castle. She was presented with the honour by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Prince William.
Reflecting on the occasion, Tracy said:
“It felt amazing to be awarded an OBE. I feel very lucky and honoured to have received this. I was delighted to have been presented with my award by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. He was genuinely interested in hearing about Further Education and West Thames College in particular. This was certainly one of the highlights of my day.”
She added:
“The whole experience was wonderful and you are made to feel very special by every person you meet who works for the royal household. It was incredible to be able to share this experience with my husband and two sons. It made it a very special occasion.”
Tracy was awarded the OBE for her services to Further Education. However, she is keen to emphasise that the recognition reflects the collective efforts of those she worked alongside throughout her career.
“My OBE was awarded for my services to Further Education. Although I have been recognised for this, it was a team effort. We could not have achieved the outstanding results at West Thames College without everyone working together to transform the lives of the young people and adults that we served. This included an incredible leadership team, a fantastic mentor, exceptional staff, outstanding students, and dedicated governors and partners.”
A lasting commitment to West Thames
During her time as CEO and Principal of West Thames College, Tracy championed an inclusive approach to education, alongside strong relationships with employers, community organisations and education partners.
Looking back on her time at the College, she describes leading West Thames as both an honour and a privilege.
“First, having the privilege to lead West Thames College as the CEO & Principal was a huge honour. For me, being able to lead and contribute to such a diverse, genuinely inclusive and successful college, is something that I am incredibly proud of. As a college and as a leader, we never lost sight of our primary goal. For me the goal was always clear, it was always about the students and all decision making led back to that core aim of providing an outstanding experience for every single student that walked through the doors of West Thames. We were able to do this through our excellent partnerships which met local and regional needs, and we achieved success by ensuring that everything we did was aligned to our college values and principles.”
She also reflected on the achievements of West Thames students:
“FE is a complex and challenging sector but at the heart of what we are all trying to do is to do the very best for our students. Helping all students to aspire and achieve. We managed to do this very well at West Thames and we achieved this by creating a safe, supportive environment with high expectations for all. I could not be prouder of what our students achieved both in terms of their qualifications and the skills they developed which enabled them to successfully progress to their chosen next steps.”
Looking ahead for Further Education
Having spent much of her career working at the heart of Further Education, Tracy remains passionate about the sector and the opportunities it can provide. She believes that funding pressures and ongoing policy and curriculum changes will continue to present challenges, alongside the growing number of young people who are not in education, employment or training.
“Many of the challenges remain unchanged. Funding remains a constant challenge as is the volume of change within the sector whether that is related to curriculum reform or policy change, political and economic circumstances or other. A current key challenge is the rising number of young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET. This will not be a quick fix. The landscape at present is problematic for young people trying to get on to the career ladder. They are expected to be work ready, but many do not have access to workplace opportunities, and this is coupled with the changing demands of the labour market, for example, the development of new skills for jobs that may not currently exist. Amid all of this, is the absolute need to ensure that education is accessible to all, especially those who are most disadvantaged, many of whom already face multiple barriers to education and employment opportunities.”
She believes that strong partnerships will remain essential to meeting these challenges.
“However, there are always opportunities and one of these is certainly continuing to develop partnerships with employers, the community and other education institutions. West Thames has been successful at this and is very well positioned to continue to do so. This provides students with access to employers and helps them to develop the essential skills to be work ready, supporting positive destinations. And of course, there are the opportunities provided by the ever-changing advances in technology, to name just a couple.”
Advice for the next generation
As she begins her new role as a Deputy Lieutenant, Tracy also has a message for the next generation of education leaders: stay connected to the communities and students they serve.
“It is both rewarding and motivating to be an education leader, but it is also a privilege to have the opportunity to lead. You will often hear about the challenges and often not enough about the positives, of which there are many. Being in a position where you can lead/persuade/influence - enables you to contribute in a way that hopefully has an impact not just on current students, education practice and policy but also on what comes for future students. Understanding the needs of your local community is important as is being a proactive member of it, working together towards shared goals. If, it at any point, you question why you are doing the role, my advice would be to take a step back and go and interact with your students. You will very quickly realise, that’s the real motivator and that’s why you do the job that you are lucky enough to do!”
Everyone at West Thames College would like to congratulate Tracy on her appointment as a Deputy Lieutenant for Greater London and on her OBE, and thank her for her continued commitment to Further Education and the communities it serves.
