Landex – ‘Colleges Aspiring to Excellence’ is a ‘not for profit’ subscriber organisation with 36 member Colleges and Universities in England and 6 Associate Members in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. To qualify for membership the provider must deliver significant volumes of landbased education and training in at least six SIC* occupational areas.
Landex was formed in 2006 from its predecessor organisation, Napaeo, which had represented the interests of Landbased Colleges and the industries they served for over 50 years.
Landex’s primary functions are to secure continuous improvement in all its members through peer review, support and CPD; and to promote the interests of members and their various client groups through dialogue with government, funding agencies, sector skills councils and professional bodies.
A study published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in 2007, revealed that over 70% of land based higher education was delivered by Landex members, and that 40% was delivered in Further Education Colleges. It also noted that higher education in FE Colleges had grown by 20% in the previous 3 years whilst it had only grown by 3% in HE institutions. Whilst no published data is available to indicate the current position, an informal survey carried out by the Association of Colleges has suggested that rather more than 50% of all undergraduate and post-graduate study of a land based subject now takes place in further education colleges. This position is unique to land based education.
Whilst most Landex members deliver Higher National Diplomas and Foundation Degrees, a significant number also deliver Honours and Post-graduate Degrees. Applied research and, in particular, field trial activity is now an established part of the portfolio for many Landex members.
The recently published Ofsted list of ‘outstanding providers’ identifies nine Landex members in the FE college sector that were found to offer outstanding provision. Confidence in college management has been expressed in every one of the seventeen Landex colleges that have received either a QAA ‘Institutional Audit’ (Higher Education Institutions) or an ‘Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review’ (Further Education Colleges with Higher Education provision) of the quality of learning and for the standards of qualifications that they offer on behalf of awarding bodies.
Further details about Landex or its members may be found at www.landex.org.uk or by contacting the Landex office on 016044521462.

*(SIC) Landbased Occupational Areas

Agriculture Crops and Livestock; Animal Care; Animal Technology;  Aquaculture;

Environmental Conservation; Equine; Farriery; Fencing; Floristry; Forestry and Timber Processing; Game and Wildlife Management;  Land Based Engineering; Landscaping; Veterinary Nursing; Production Horticulture