Driving innovation in FE recruitment: The Supply Register expands partnerships following successful collaboration

This year, The Supply Register is proud to be celebrating 10 years in business as one of the UK’s most recognised and trusted technology-led education recruitment managed service providers.

Our foray into the Further Education (FE) market began over a year ago, when we identified a gap. We recognised that our proven MSP model, which successfully supports Primary and Secondary Multi Academy Trusts, could be adapted for the FE market to deliver value across the sector.

We initially partnered with NCG, one of the largest education and training providers in the UK, comprising seven renowned colleges in Newcastle, Carlisle, West Lancashire, Kidderminster, Lewisham, and Southwark. The group faced common recruitment challenges: fragmented processes, inconsistent systems, difficulty finding specialist roles, and limited visibility into temporary staffing spend.

The goal was to deliver a fully integrated MSP-led workforce solution that would streamline recruitment, reduce admin, and provide full visibility into temporary staffing and spend.

Since implementation, we have met their original objectives, streamlining processes and reducing administration, providing faster, more effective recruitment and providing data-driven visibility and clear reporting. Reducing recruitment spend by 15%* and saving over £100,000* in permanent recruitment fees.

The Supply Register acts as an extension of the internal resourcing function of each of our clients, fully embedding ourselves within teams to ensure alignment with both operational needs and strategic objectives. By listening carefully to NCG’s requirements, we established trust early and delivered a seamless implementation. Read our case study on NCG here.

Continued growth into the FE market

The strength of delivery and customer satisfaction with NCG has directly driven referrals and organic growth within the FE sector. Following the successful partnership with NCG, we have secured a partnership with City of Wolverhampton College in late 2025. Since onboarding, the college has already achieved £42,730 in savings (8%), demonstrating immediate financial impact.

A further referral led to a partnership with Coleg Cambria, a large FE group with six sites across North Wales and over 26,000 students. Since joining us, they have achieved 10% savings, reinforcing the scalability and consistency of the model across different regions and organisational structures.

Our expanding dedicated FE team

Our dedicated FE team at The Supply Register brings over 50 years of combined experience, spanning multiple recruitment disciplines, geographic regions, and delivery models.  We now have a team of eight working across the country on FE recruitment.

Vicki Hartley, Assistant Partnership Manager for Further Education at The Supply Register, has worked in the FE sector for 17 years, now heads the Further Education team, and was involved in the successful onboarding of all new FE clients.  She highlights the innovation’s competitive advantage.

“From my experience, what clearly differentiates this service offering within the FE market is the combination of deep FE sector expertise and a genuinely collaborative, partnership-led approach. By moving beyond traditional supply models and embedding regional insight with flexible delivery, we aim to provide a more sustainable, responsive solution that meets the evolving needs of Further Education.”

Celebrating achievement

We are thrilled to have been shortlisted for the 2026 Crescent Purchasing Consortium Excellence Awards in the category ‘innovation within education’, with this move into the FE market.

The CPC Supplier Awards recognise the essential role that affiliated suppliers play across the UK and highlight how highly their contributions are valued by the CPC community of over 10,000 members. They spotlight outstanding performance, innovation and collaboration amongst organisations. They also look to celebrate those who have gone above and beyond to deliver exceptional value for money, quality and customer service for CPC members, while simultaneously considering their social and sustainable impact as an organisation.

Our managing director, Baljinder Kuller, commented.

“I’m absolutely delighted that, following our major partnership with NCG, we’ve continued to grow at pace, expanding our team and welcoming two more significant college groups, with even more exciting opportunities already in the pipeline. Being recognised by the Crescent Purchasing Consortium and shortlisted for this innovative approach is a real honour, and I couldn’t be prouder of the incredible effort, passion, and commitment our team has shown to make this possible.

What makes this especially rewarding is seeing the impact we’re creating across FE, schools, and MATs. Our focus has always been on helping organisations achieve better workforce management and meaningful cost savings through managed services, while building strong, lasting partnerships along the way. This recognition reinforces what we truly believe, that taking the time to understand each client’s unique needs is at the heart of delivering real value and long-term success.”

If your organisation is interested in working with us here at The Supply Register, or if you’re a teaching specialist seeking a role in the FE market, get in touch with our expert team.