The Association of Northern Ireland Colleges (ANIC) was established in 1998 following the incorporation of the 16 colleges of further and higher education in Northern Ireland.
The 16 colleges were:
ANIC represents all FE colleges as the voice of further education in Northern Ireland and works through a number of Committees, Forums and Working Groups. These cover specialist areas such as the College Employers’ Forum, Human Resource Managers Network, Communications Committee, Curriculum, Staff Development and ILT Committee. The membership of these groupings is drawn from staff in the colleges.
From 1 August 2007, Northern Ireland's FE colleges merged into six larger area-based colleges. This is the most significant development in the sector's 100-year history and sets out a new era for vocational learning and training in Northern Ireland.
The six new colleges are: