1 Context Statement 2017-19 2 Table of Contents Page 1. Introduction 3 2. Student Profile 5 Geography 5 Deprivation 5 % Enrolments by Most Deprived 5% Zones (table) 5 Qualifications 6 Age 6 Students by Age Cohort: 2015-16 (table) 6 Gender 7 Ethnicity 7 Disability 7 Mode of Attendance 7 3. Community Profile 8 Vulnerability 9 Employment and the Labour Market 9 Skills and Wages 10 Unemployment and Benefit Dependency 10 Health 11 Ethnicity 11 Deprivation 11 Qualifications 12 Local Schools 12 4. College Profile 15 Headcount Enrolments Credits (table) 15 Key Performance Indicators 16 Full Time FE (table) 16 Full Time HE (table) 16 Destinations 17 Financial Sustainability 18 Funding and Income 18 Estates 18 Governance 19 Curriculum 19 Partnership Provision 23 International 25 Quality 25 Operational Planning 26 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion 26 5. Employer, Vocational and Stakeholder Needs 27 6. National and Local Economy 29 7. Glasgow Economic Development 31 Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company 31 City Deal 31 Key Growth Sectors 31 8. Key Areas of Scottish Government Policy 33 Developing the Young Workforce 33 Supporting the STEM Agenda 34 Raising Attainment 34 Employability 35 Sustainable Employment 35 Child Poverty 36 Early Years Education 36 Widening Access and Inclusion 37 Gender Action Planning 38 Digital Inclusion 39 9. Scottish Funding Council Strategic Plan and Glasgow ROA 40 Right Learning, Right Place 40 Widening Access 41 High Quality and Efficient Learning 43 A Developed Workforce 43 10. Glasgow’s Single Outcome Agreement 45 Appendix: Local Schools 2015/16 - School Leaver Data 46 3 1 Introduction 1.1 The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of Glasgow Kelvin College’s (GKC) operational context in 2016/17 and beyond. 1.2 It seeks to provide background information on the approach which the College takes to address the identified needs of the communities it serves, as well as those of the Glasgow region and beyond as a rationale for its strategic and operational plans. These will align the College as a key player in delivering the Regional Outcome Agreement (ROA), Glasgow City Council’s Single Outcome Agreement (SOA), Glasgow Economic Strategy, the Scottish Funding Council’s Strategic Plan 2015-18 and the Scottish Government’s Economic Strategy for March 2015. 1.3 The document draws on a number of other reports which are routinely provided by the College to its Board, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and other funders and stakeholders. 1.4 This Context Statement utilises data from a variety of sources, most notably the SFC’s InFact Database, NOMIS, Glasgow City Council, Skills Development Scotland, Glasgow Centre for Population Health, the Scottish Government and other sources cited within the text. 1.5 By outlining Glasgow Kelvin College’s relative position within the region, the Context Statement seeks to underscore the ‘fit’ of Glasgow’s three learning FE institutions, Glasgow Clyde College (GCC) and City of Glasgow College (CoG) establishing the College’s distinctive nature and its essential role in ensuring a comprehensive Glasgow regional response which addresses the unique profile and needs of the city’s population and its economy. 1.6 The report will also provide analysis of the College’s catchment area, its identified needs and opportunities. 1.7 The shifting landscape of data collection and analysis in Scotland has impacted on the information available with the result that some measures which were considered previously are no longer possible to determine. Nonetheless, the report takes account of the College’s regional comparators and will seek to define the Student Profile for Glasgow Kelvin College and provide an overview of College performance. 1.8 Following the restructuring of health and social work where both functions, in 2015, were brought together to form the NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health & Social Care Partnerships, much of the data on health and social care indicators within this report predate the restructure. 1.9 The Context Statement also considers the policy environment under which the College operates. In light of the Scottish Government’s plans for partnership between colleges, schools and employers in Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce and the key strategic priorities laid out in the refreshed plans in Scotland’s Economic Strategy, the College is reassured that its own strategy is travelling in a similar direction. 1.10 Executive Summary 1.10.1 The College continues to attract more learners from the Glasgow City local authority than any other part of the college region. 1.10.2 The College recruits the highest percentage of Glaswegian learners (79%) in the City. 4 1.10.3 As in previous years, the College recruits students from some of Scotland’s most challenged communities. Circa 50% of College enrolments are from students resident in the most deprived decile in Scotland with 65% from the most deprived quintile. It is, therefore, uniquely placed to address the Scottish Government’s Widening Access agenda. 1.10.4 College catchment area communities continue to experience high levels of deprivation, unemployment and ill-health, all factors which may impact on residents’ ability to access and retain learning opportunities. 1.10.5 A comparison of residence-based and workplace-based weekly income reveals that these are influenced by commuter flows, with higher wage earners residing outwith the local community/City. 1.10.6 Low qualification levels and lack of skills contribute to catchment area residents’ ability to compete for sustainable, well-paid jobs. 1.10.7 Attainment levels at local schools, following a long period of slow improvement, now appear to be plateauing and there is no apparent trend with levels fluctuating. 1.10.8 A national increase in school-leavers accessing HE, with a concomitant reduction progressing to FE, disguises the fact that more school leavers are going to college than to university to study HE. The college/university breakdown of HE figures reveals that school leavers from some schools in the College catchment area are three times more likely to go on to college than to university to study HE level programmes. When these figures are added to those school leavers who are going on to study at FE level, it is clear that college is, by a very large margin, the most common positive destination for senior phase leavers. 1.10.9 There is a recent overall increase in school leavers going directly into employment. 1.10.10 For College Leaver Destination Results, although there is a slight reduction in the response rate, figures reveal that increasing numbers of students from the College are progressing to positive destinations in either employment or more advanced learning. 1.10.11 There is very slow growth in the Scottish economy and this remains behind that of the rest of the UK as a whole. 1.10.12 The College has built into its developmental planning the key priorities from the Glasgow Colleges’ Regional Board, Glasgow City Council, the Glasgow Community Planning Partnership, the Scottish Funding Council and the Scottish Government. However, it remains aware of the challenges which lie ahead in the shape of the slump in the oil & gas industry, the potential, as yet unquantifiable, impact of Brexit and the restructuring of school governance in Scotland. 5 2 Student Profile Geography An examination of Students’ place of residence prior to study uptake reveals that, of Glasgow Kelvin College 17,625 enrolments in session 2015/16, some 79% are students from the Glasgow City local authority area, compared to 67% (+5% over last year) for Glasgow Clyde College and 41% (-3% over last year) for City of Glasgow College. The College enrolled 11,778 Glaswegians last year. Deprivation In 2015/16, GKC had 17,625 enrolments from 15,168 students, 50% of which were from students who reside in the most deprived decile (10%) in Scotland (SIMD 2016). This is as a result of the College’s long-standing commitment to its local communities and its close partnership links with the local authority, community and third sector organisations. Of GCC’s 15,033 students (18,918 enrolments), 28% are from the most deprived decile and the concomitant figure for CoG is 21%. The colleges’ share of the most deprived 20% is broken down as follows and includes the Regional average: % Enrolments by Most Deprived 5% Zones 45 39 40 35 30 Most Deprived 0-5% 25 21 Most Deprived 5-10% 20 18 Most Deprived 10-15% 15 13 Most Deprived 15-20% % of total enrolments 11 9 10 9 10 8 7 6 6 6 6 5 6 5 0 GKC GCC CoG Region It is evident therefore that GKC provides learning opportunities for residents of many of Glasgow’s most deprived communities as it seeks to support the social and economic regeneration of the city. Indeed, an analysis of the College’s community profile (Section 3) highlights the deprivation challenges which many Glasgow communities face and how the College is best positioned to work with other key partners as it seeks to address these and provide opportunities for residents. The chart demonstrates that 65% of the College’s enrolments come from students in the most deprived 20% of the population, as against a regional average of 43%. This is a 5% increase over the previous year College statistics as GKC works to ensure wider access for students from a range of backgrounds. 6 Qualifications There is an accepted correlation between levels of attainment in formal qualifications and poverty. The College has recruited high levels of learners with low or no qualifications on entry and progressed them through to more advanced qualifications during their learning journey. The SFC no longer provides an analysis of this data (level of qualification on entry) and it is therefore difficult to quantify this year.