As Principal of Scotland’s largest Regional College, I often have to remind my teams that changes to our sector have been multi-dimensional. While associating reform simply with merger is understandable, we have also had to embrace national pay bargaining, we are now part of Scottish Government, and we have faced fundamental changes to the way we are funded, alongside funding cuts.
The last three years have not been easy. Knowing what I know now, there are things I would’ve done differently. Nevertheless, I am absolutely convinced that at West College Scotland we have established the solid foundations needed not just to educate but to develop the vocational, professional and technical skills of our students and the wider workforce.
Earlier this year, the Scottish Funding Council said West College Scotland was using its “influence and authority” as a large regional organisation to forge a leadership role.
For me, this sums up one of the biggest benefits from three years of significant change.
Across our campuses in Clydebank, Greenock and Paisley, working with our five local authorities, 600 employer partners, chambers of commerce and schools, we have used our scale to forge a role as a regional leader.
Businesses turn to us to become more competitive and successful. In return, they help us shape and deliver our curriculum, invest in our facilities, mentor our students and provide work placements and ‘live’ projects.
Regionalisation has been good for us, our partners, and the communities we serve.
Building on this, however, requires urgent capital investment, especially in Greenock and Paisley, to ensure our campuses represent an environment that inspires our staff and students. Our estate is fundamental in defining the character of our College and to the successful delivery of our ambitions.
This is one of our key priorities for 2016-17.
Audrey appears in the October 24th edition of Holyrood Magazine, as part of an Education special.
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