Lecturers told to get trendy

Time for a change of image?

Further education lecturers could soon be throwing away their brown corduroy jackets and getting a fashionable haircut.

A style guru is being drafted in to advise college representatives on how they can improve their image.

Image consultants tend to advise against beards

Delegates at the Association of Colleges' annual conference in Birmingham will be told the days of the stuffy professor are over and that it is time to "buck up" their ideas.

American performance coach Mary Spillane will tell them they need to cultivate a strong personal image if they are to successfully influence students of today.

The lecturers will also learn how to make and maintain eye-contact, offer a strong handshake, project a confident voice and develop their presence.

Branding

Ms Spillane believes staff in further education colleges must take a long hard look at how they are presenting and branding themselves.

"Staff are business professionals and need to present themselves as such if they are to give students professional skills as well as a first-rate education," said Ms Spillane.

Learning how to dress to flatter yourself, project what you want and look modern is key

Mary Spillane

"The 21st century college employee should project both confidence and style and look like a man or woman of the future rather than someone stuck in a time warp.

"This means knowing how to mix with people outside education, being able to discuss current affairs as well as the world of business and look inspirational. Learning how to dress to flatter yourself, project what you want and look modern is key."

The AoC, which admits "the image of college staff has not always been associated with style", hopes the presentation will help raise the profile of lecturers.