VERSA VOICE: Q&A with Ela Piotrowska
May 2010

This month, Versa Voice meets Ela Piotrowska, Principal of Morley College at Waterloo in London. Morley is a vibrant and exciting adult learning college. Thousands of adults come to the college each year to enhance and transform their lives. Courses inspire creativity, develop new skills, improve employment opportunities and provide access to learning for people who have been disadvantaged or excluded from learning. And for many learners, Morley is also a place where adults can experience the sheer pleasure of new learning and satisfy their curiosity for learning.

www.morleycollege.ac.uk

What have you got in your briefcase today?
Ten application forms for the post of marketing manager that we are interviewing for later today. A very well worn and full Filofax with a To Do list that has grown since leaving home at 7.15 this morning. Contact details for builders who have begun fixing my roof at home... and some lipstick to repair the ravages of the day before the interviews this afternoon!!

What's the most embarrassing (work!) mistake you've made?
Asking the speaker in a meeting to repeat themselves…was I day-dreaming or did they fail to engage me?

Another embarrassing moment occurred when I met a group of local dignitaries at one of the Morley Gallery art show exhibitions, and then immediately forgot some of their names, making further introductions difficult!

What would you say to your 18-year old self if you met them today?
Take risks, seek and enjoy the diversions that life offers. It is possible (and probably healthy) to change direction every now and again. Show no fear when making those decisions.

What’s the most important thing you've learned in this job?
That as a leader it is important to live the vision, and take people with you. I used to be a bit cynical about the importance of vision but have learnt that it helps to pave the way for ambitions and high aspirations. I also learn every day that people have an amazing, endless and uplifting capacity for high achievement. It is the absolute power of adult education at its best. Yesterday I saw a piano recital by students which included a 70 year old woman performing for the first time!

How do you keep sane and focused?
Attending student recitals, performances and exhibitions. I am addicted to thrillers and cannot put down the recent Stieg Larson trilogy. Travelling, cooking and of course friends and family... they all make sure I retain some balance in my life. I am very lucky.

You find yourself drinking in a late–night bar with the Secretary of State. What would you say to him/her?
Come down to Morley and meet our students. I guarantee it will lift your spirits! And you look as if you need refreshing after the long election campaign!

When was the last time you felt genuinely surprised at work?
Yesterday. Following a meeting with a group of staff who were facing some challenges earlier in the week, they suddenly took responsibility, made some changes which will undoubtedly make things better for the students, themselves and the college as a whole.

Have you ever said 'I'll get back to you on that' and not meant it?
When is the deadline for this? I always get back, but sometimes my responses are a little delayed...

What would you do with £25 million in your budget?
The list is endless, and I am afraid £25m would not go very far. I would raise some salaries; increase student bursaries (to mitigate some of the big fee increases that are coming); refurbish key areas of the college; commission some creative work in music, arts, sculpture and performance (to maintain the living heritage of Morley); and increase the presence of the college within the communities of south London.

In your view, will your sector notice a difference with a change of government?
Unfortunately, no. Whoever wins will be committed to reducing expenditure and I am afraid that adult learning has never fared well at times of economic hardship. Any cuts will affect students directly and the nature and extent of adult learning services across the country. Fees will increase, minority subjects will be threatened, as will the provision of learning for those who are the most disadvantaged in our communities.

You wake up in a parallel universe where you never took this career path. What would you like to be doing instead?
I think I would have liked to be a doctor and to have 5 children... I only have 2!

What do you look for most from a partner company or service provider?
We work with lots of partners, including Versa. We demand an open, honest and easy dialogue where objectives are clearly agreed and progress regularly monitored. Challenges will arise, and we expect them to be shared and resolved. It matters that partners share our mission and values for adult learning and education.