Right Learning in the Right Place. 2014-15 was a period of significant expansion in the college’s portfolio of courses. 6 full-time courses and 1 part-time course were offered as detailed below: 1 year full-time Access to Higher Education: Arts & Humanities 1 year full-time Access to HE/NC: Celtic Studies 1 year full-time HNC Social Sciences - Associate Student Programme with Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx University 1 year full-time NC Rural Skills 6 month full-time Preparation for FE Course 16 week full-time NC Rural Skills, in partnership with Scotland’s Rural University College (SRUC) 1 year part-time NC Rural Skills Course Total SFC funded activity delivered in session 2014-15 was 1,460 WSUMS. The college exceeded its activity target of 1,392 WSUMS by 68 WSUMS (5%). Full-time FE represented 100% of SUMS at the college in 2014-15. Almost all part- time provision was funded by other sources outwith SFC. Actual enrolments against targets for AY 2014-15 are shown below: Course Target Actual student Enrolments Completed Successfully Arts & Humanities 45 41 (91%) 67% HNC Social Sciences 10 18 (+180%) 78% NC Rural Skills 15 16 (106%) 94% HE/NC Celtic Studies 15 6 (40%) 100% Prep for FE 12 10 (84%) 80% This shows that recruitment for Celtic Studies pilot course did not reach target. This was due in part to a short lead in time between funding approval and course start date. The student age balance for 2012-15 was as follows: Age Proportion of learners 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Under 16 3% 0% 0% 16-19 16% 22% 28% 20-25 37% 27% 28% 26-40 27% 30% 22% 41 and over 17% 22% 23% The proportion of students aged 16-19 has increased and now matches the proportion aged 20-25, with these age groups representing more than half of all students. The remaining students are evenly split between 26-40 and the 41 and over age groups. The student gender balance for 2012-2015 was as follows: Gender Proportion of learners 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Male 62% 73% 60% Female 38% 27% 40% In each of the last three years, the majority of students at the college were male. In 2014-15 60% were male, the smallest majority in the last three years.
Right Learning in the Right Place. Curriculum Review A full post-merger review of curriculum was completed during 2014/15 for implementation in academic year 2015/16. This extensive review was developed to meet local economic and employment needs, whilst streamlining and refining the curriculum offer to shorten journeys and ensure that clear and effective learner journeys were available. The review drew on a range of sources in order to provide a clear rationale for our curriculum offer. The Scottish Government’s Post-16 Education Bill, SFC’s Outcomes, our own ROA and analysis of the local economy, all helped to provide guidance and data. Our partner Local Councils and CPP planning was also influential, as was our detailed economic analysis supported by the labour market research provided by SFC and SDS in the form of the Regional Skills Assessment. The College, partly as a result of curriculum review, and partly through a renewed strategic drive to engage with employers, has made significant strides in developing new programmes linking with the key economic sectors in our region and developing access level programmes targeted at the specific needs of learners to develop the skills and attributes necessary to participate in the modern word of work. The following are examples of recent developments: The College devised and set up a shared apprenticeship scheme for the Construction Industry in Angus set up in 2015 The College has devised a workforce development project with NHS Tayside to fill skills gaps in Operating Theatre nursing and is now working on a larger inter regional project to modernise the care workforce The College Express programme designed especially for young people leaving school who need to explore opportunities available at college and gain vocational experiences to assist in career decision making The ASPIRE programme which is aimed at adults ready to return to study or looking to explore opportunities for vocational study or employment The College has set up the first ever Coding Academy in a College in Scotland. The Academy brings together large and small employers in the digital industries to upskill staff and students and to ensure a flow of recruits are available to the critical software development industry. The Academy launched in 2016 The College has created a bespoke Enterprise Incubator facility offering our students the opportunity to establish and grow their businesses within a supported environment where they can access specialist support and hig...
Right Learning in the Right Place. Curriculum Review Higher Education Further Education Enterprise and Social Skills
Right Learning in the Right Place. Objective Activities Timescale
Right Learning in the Right Place. Secure coherent provision of higher education in Scotland in line with the SFC’s statutory obligation Introduction The university’s strategy contains specific objectives to: develop students’ capabilities to thrive in an increasingly multi-disciplinary and fast changing world of work lead thinking in the development of professional practice and emerging professions and roles; and engage with employers and professions to develop workforce skills and capabilities to meet the needs of the economy and society Responding to current and future skills requirements The university is committed to providing the appropriate portfolio of courses for the region and to ensuring the currency and validity of those courses, the achievement of this is evidenced through, for example: high demand of the university’s courses both by school-leavers and those articulating from college courses (see Aim 1) accreditation of such courses through professional and statutory bodies close involvement of industry representatives in developing new courses and shaping current course changes involvement of visiting lecturers from relevant sectors in the teaching of courses active policy of recruiting academic staff from industry to ensure course relevance extensive range and depth of staff networks within their sector/s incorporation of work related experiences within the majority of the university’s courses, which will be developed further through the funding the university has received for the Talent Exchange project (see Aim 4) cognisance of the Skills Investment Plans produced by Skills Development Scotland working actively with SDS and NESCOL to develop an integrated apprenticeship framework (see Aim 4) the model used for the Access to Law programme, which was designed and is provided jointly with Ledingham Chalmers A significant feature of the university’s course portfolio is the high demand for the university’s graduates by employers. This is due to a number of features of the university’s provision, including the: close engagement with employers in the design and approval of all courses; high priority given to the provision of work-related experiences (including formal placements) involvement of industry practitioners, including professional bodies, in course delivery and assessment provision of state-of-the-art teaching and training facilities development of key transferable skills through the teaching and assessment practices involved in course ...
Right Learning in the Right Place. The college offers a small range of provision which consists primarily of five full-time, FE level programmes. Total enrolments for the year are less than 100 learners, therefore care is required when interpreting percentages and trend data against national performance levels. The college activity level agreed with SFC as a target has increased year on year since 2012. However, each year the college has significantly delivered above this target as detailed in Table 1. Actual enrolments against targets for AY 2014-15: Course Target Actual student Enrolments Completed Successfully Arts & Humanities 45 41 (91%) 61% HNC Social Sciences 10 18 (+180%) 82% NC Rural Skills 15 16 (106%) 94% HE/NC Celtic Studies 15 6 (40%) 100% Prep for FE 12 10 (84%) 80% . Over the last three years, early withdrawal rates in full-time FE programmes are slightly more than the national sector performance level. However, due to the small scale of provision, this represents one or two learners. Full-time FE further withdrawal rates have improved over the last three years, and are five percentage points lower than the 2013-2014 national sector performance level. Successful completion rates for full-time FE provision is 77%, eleven percentage points above the national sector performance level. There is an improving trend over the last three years. The full-time FE Access to Arts and Humanities programme (SCQF Level 6) aims to prepare and enable learners to progress to further study. The successful completion rate for this programme is low at 61%. However, of the number of learners who completed their programme successfully, 81% progressed to university; 7% onto a college programme and 8% entered employment. Overall, this progression rate is positive and in line with the aims of the programme. The college has recently introduced an HNC Social Sciences programme (SCQF Level 7) delivered in partnership with Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx University. This is the college’s only HE provision. The programme has a successful completion rate of 82% which is eleven percentage points above the national sector performance level. Fourteen learners completed the programme successfully and twelve progressed to study at a university. Recruitment for Celtic Studies pilot course did not reach target. This was due in part to a short lead in time between funding approval and course start date. Route Map for Students • Full-time Preparation for FE Course (SCQF Level 4) offers progression from community-based provision a...
