For the past eight years, the ICAEW Academy has been proud to partner with the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) – the government-backed body supporting excellence across further education (FE) – to deliver high-impact leadership development for senior finance professionals.
ETF CFO Programme: senior-level development for FE’s finance leaders
The ETF CFO Programme offers a practical, strategically focused development experience for CFOs, finance directors and senior leaders preparing for – or already operating at – executive level.
Across an immersive two-day programme, participants work collaboratively with peers on real FE-focused case studies, learning how to:
- strengthen strategic decision-making
- enhance commercial storytelling
- influence boards and senior stakeholders
- lead finance functions through transformation
- apply actionable frameworks immediately within their organisation
This is a rare opportunity for senior finance leaders to step back, reflect, and elevate their impact at the highest levels of governance and strategy.
Finance Leaders and Managers (FLM): preparing the sector’s future leaders
The FLM programme is designed for high-potential finance managers, aspiring leaders, and new managers embarking on the next stage of their career. This free programme supports the development of leadership capability where it matters most: in the teams and financial operations that keep colleges running.
The programme focuses on two core areas:
1. Driving high-performance teams
- Build confidence to lead and inspire
- Develop a clear leadership style and adapt communication
- Give effective feedback that drives performance
- Use strengths to motivate and influence others
2. Influencing the broader business
- Strengthen commercial insight and business partnering
- Offer analysis and opinion – not just numbers
- Present complex data simply and persuasively
- Manage upwards and build credibility with senior leaders
- Use stakeholder mapping to drive outcomes and influence change
Participants report immediate improvements in team performance, confidence, and organisational impact.
Why join the waitlist?
With both 2026 programmes at full capacity, the waitlist is the best route to secure priority access to:
- any places that become available
- early booking for future programme dates
- updates, announcements, and new opportunities
If you have colleagues who may benefit – particularly those stepping into leadership roles or preparing for executive responsibilities – please share the links and encourage them to register.
