5
5.
Ayrshire has experienced the highest rates of all-age and youth unemployment in Scotland for
many years, well before the start of the economic downturn in 2008. The College is contributing
to meeting the objectives of the Scottish Government’s youth employment strategy, in particular
the commitment to provide 16 to 19 year olds a guaranteed place in education or learning through
Opportunities for All. Working with Community Planning Partnerships and national agencies to
help young people into employment, the College is extending the offer available through the
Strategic Skills Pipeline, encouraging employers to make young people their business and
promoting the range of support available from all partners.
Supporting Community Planning Partnerships
6.
The College will continue to play a vital role in the three Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs)
which cover Ayrshire and is fully committed to helping each to achieve the objectives set out in
their Single Outcome Agreements. Through the Principal’s role as a member of the three CPP
Boards, the College will identify how college resources can be utilised effectively in order to
avoid duplication and develop a coherent targeted response to community need based on
neighbourhood planning.
Strategic engagement with employers
7.
Close and effective work with employers is built into the mindset of the new College and we will
build on the progress we have made in this area. At a strategic level, the College is an important
partner in all of the main business-led structures across the region. The College is a member of the
Ayrshire Economic Partnership (formed in 2009 and comprising senior figures from the three CPPs,
the business community and national agencies), a strategic partner of the Ayrshire Chamber of
Commerce and Industry, and a member of the CPPs’ economic development boards.
Communicating with stakeholders
8.
Elected members have a keen interest in how the College is supporting people living in the areas
they represent. The Chair and Principal have already had a series of individual meetings with MSPs
and MPs serving Ayrshire, and have agreed to meet them three times a year to discuss how the
College is progressing locally and across the region. Engagement with the three Council Leaders
is ongoing through the Ayrshire Economic Partnership, CPP Board meetings and many other
opportunities.
9.
Since vesting day on 1 August 2013, significant and impactful efforts have been made to raise
awareness of the new college and the possibilities it presents to the people, communities and
businesses of Ayrshire. Work will continue throughout 2014-15 to increase awareness further of
the opportunities presented by the College. This will include a series of engagement events with
key partners, continued and enhanced use of social media to reach young people and employers,
and ongoing positive coverage in the local press.
www.ayrshire.ac.uk