College Innovation Retain and Attain New Principals
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FOR SCOTLAND’S COLLEGE SECTOR 2019 Retain and attain Colleges are using quality improvement methodology to improve retention and attainment p10 College innovation Collaborating with businesses through the SFC Innovation Voucher scheme p18 New Principals Meet the new Principals in the sector and find out their plans for the year ahead p24 Creative colleges Scotland’s creative industries need colleges to prepare young people with new skills for future business needs FOR SCOTLAND’S COLLEGE SECTOR 2019 Retain and attain Colleges are using quality improvement methodology to improve retention and attainment p10 College innovation Collaborating with businesses through the SFC Innovation Voucher scheme p18 New Principals Meet the new Principals in the sector and fi nd out their plans for the year ahead p24 Creative colleges Scotland’s creative industries need colleges to prepare young people with new skills for future business needs 18 2019 16 Editor Wendy Grindle [email protected] Assistant Editor Lauren Hendrick [email protected] Front Cover: © Inverness College UHI, Fashion show 8 Reach is produced by Connect Publications (Scotland) Limited on behalf of College Development Network Contents Studio 2001, Mile End 12 Seedhill Road ROUND-UP ESSENTIAL SKILLS Paisley PA1 1JS 04 Key updates 20 Attributes for life Highlighting key projects and initiatives. The Dundee and Angus College Attributes Tel: 0141 561 0300 programme. Web: www.connectcommunications.co.uk INTERVIEW 08 Go for it! DIGITAL PRACTITIONER Richard Lochhead MSP shares his views. 22 Virtual water rescue Ayrshire College uses VR for learning. IMPROVEMENT PROJECT 10 Retain, attain and share! COLLEGE LEADERSHIP College Development Network Improving retention and attainment. Airthrey Castle 24 The Principal aims The new college Principals reveal their University of Stirling INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT plans for 2019. FK9 4LA 12 Creative industries Learn what this sector has to offer. HEALTH AND WELLBEING E-mail: [email protected] INCLUSION Web: www.cdn.ac.uk 28 Positive health An holistic approach to wellbeing from 16 Family learning Inverness College UHI. Company Limited By Guarantee Glasgow Clyde tackles attainment. Registered in Scotland No: 143514 INNOVATION THE LAST WORD Scottish Charity No. SC021876 VAT No. 617148346 18 College innovation 30 Love and learning The SFC Innovation Voucher scheme. Supporting care-experienced learners. 2 | 2019 © Edinburgh College, Daydream Believers 12 The creative industries are ever-changing and an extremely competitive environment. It’s important our students get access to professionals who have experienced the highs and lows of the sector throughout their careers and can offer valuable advice and guidance. Welcome THE first issue of Reach Our striking cover image Employers today are valuing with modern skills, knowledge received so much positive comes from an Inverness College skills such as creativity and self- and experience. feedback, and this year UHI fashion show. Our management just as much The sector’s role as an we’re delighted to be colleges are rich with as technical knowledge. educational and economic expanding the magazine creativity, and on Essential skills are driver has surely never been with lots of new content. page 12 we explore a clear focus at more important for Scotland, in In this issue I hope you’ll find the creative Dundee and uncertain and changing times. some inspiration and plenty of industries and how Angus College information, and we have some colleges can best (page 20) and their great interviews too. work with a sector award-winning Find out more about the which is worth programme, D&A ambitions of Richard Lochhead £3.7bn to the Scottish Attributes. MSP for the college sector (page economy. There’s no doubt that 8) and how this chimes with the In a world of increasing colleges are leading the way Jim Metcalfe, Chief Executive, aims and aspirations of some of automation and artificial when it comes to developing College Development Network our recently appointed Principals. intelligence, creativity is king. students and equipping them (CDN) There’s no doubt that colleges are leading the way when it comes to equipping students with modern skills, knowledge and experience. 2019 | 3 Round-up #ChooseCollege – Promoting colleges as Plan A The CDN Marketing and Communications Network has collaborated with colleges across Scotland on a national STV advert and campaign. Designed to raise the profile of the college sector, the campaign highlights the variety of colleges and courses available and presents college as a first choice for students. The advert ran on STV and STV Player throughout November 2018. It was also featured at the Scotland versus Argentina rugby game at Murrayfield on 24 November. Alongside the advert, a website for the campaign was launched, allowing prospective students to seek out their local college and College Expo19 – showcasing case studies from the sector. The advert and campaign page can be viewed at: Success in a Changing World www.cdn.ac.uk/choose-college ollege Expo19 post-16 education and planning is underway for will take place training. It is a celebration an even more exciting on Wednesday of college excellence, a event for June 2019. 12 and hub for staff development Submissions for CThursday 13 June 2019 and practical innovation, session proposals are at Perth College UHI and and an opportunity to open until the end of will explore the theme participate in cutting- January and we are “Success in a Changing edge debate on keen to hear from you World”. vocational learning. if you have an idea for College Expo is a Following the huge a session. Submit your free landmark event for success of the inaugural session at: www.cdn. everyone involved in College Expo last year, ac.uk/college-expo 4 | 2019 ROUND-UP Achieve the insight and agility to become more financially sustainable, and deliver on student attainment expectations. Tribal Benchmarking helps Scottish colleges optimise efficiency, performance and value for money. Find out how on our forthcoming webinar: Achieving the insights and agility to optimise your college’s efficiency and performance info.tribalgroup.com/benchmarking Empowering the world of education CDN_benchmarking_scottishcolleges.indd 1 21/11/2018 15:27 ROUND-UP Language Professional Standards for linking, Lecturers in Scotland’s Colleges An ambitious collaboration between around three interdependent elements: business College Development Network (CDN), the 1. Professional Values General Teaching Council for Scotland 2. Professional Knowledge and (GTCS), the Scottish Government, college Understanding thinking staff and key partners saw 3. Professional Practice. publication of the new They embed the rapid changes CDN partnered with SCILT, Scotland’s Professional Standards seen across the learning and National Centre for Languages, to deliver for Lecturers in teaching landscape in an event dedicated to language learning in Scotland’s Colleges in recent years, address the college sector at Edinburgh College in November last year. advances made in November 2018. Extensive digital technology, The event highlighted the role that consultation and and consider what modern languages can play in developing a robust review that means for the employability and career aspirations of process guided by today’s college students in schools, colleges and universities. a Steering Group teaching practitioners It demonstrated innovative approaches to chaired by Mhairi and learners. building the bridge between employers and Harrington OBE, The new Professional all sectors of education, highlighting the role resulted in a modernised Standards will be used for a range of languages in the creation of an outward- set of Standards which provide a of purposes including: looking labour market, based on current professional framework for college ● Underpinning future professional effective partnerships. lecturers. teaching qualifications for lecturers in “This was a truly inspiring event,” said The consultation took place during the Scotland’s colleges Suzanne Marshall, Curriculum and Teaching 2017-18 academic session and included ● Developing critically reflective and Lead at CDN. “We heard from key employers an online survey, which received more than evaluative practitioners in the service and STEM industries about the 1,600 responses, and 25 focus groups and ● Supporting professional dialogue and value of languages in these sectors. Staff in-depth interviews involving college staff collegiate working now have lots of ideas to help them put and key stakeholders. ● Supporting professional development languages on the local map.” The feedback informed a draft set of the ● Contribute to ongoing development The event also saw the launch of the Standards which were “road tested” by a across the sector. Business and Language Toolkit, which reference group made up of teaching staff Jim Metcalfe, Chief Executive of CDN, is designed to help colleges create local drawn from colleges across Scotland, plus said: “I am delighted that this collaborative events that highlight the business value of a final online consultation at the beginning process has produced a robust, modern languages through direct engagement with of the 2018-19 session inviting participation set of Standards addressing the future employers. These sorts of events have been from college staff and stakeholders. needs of learners and employers. CDN successful in enabling staff to demonstrate Lecturers work within a diverse, will now