06
AYRSHIRE UPDATE
AYRSHIRE COLLEGE WORKING WITH EMPLOYERS
Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce
September saw the publication
of the interim report from the
Commission for Developing
Scotland’s Young Workforce which is
being led by Sir Ian Wood. Amongst
its recommendations were;
• Pathways, developed and delivered
in partnership with colleges, should
start in the senior phase of school
and lead to the delivery of industry
recognised vocational qualifications
alongside academic qualifications.
• The important role of colleges in
the development of Scotland’s
young workforce should be
recognised and managed through
college Outcome Agreements
• Colleges should focus on employment
outcomes and supporting local
economic development, underpinned
by partnerships with industry
• The enhancement of vocational
education pathways for young
people should feature prominently in
college Outcome Agreements and
Community Plans
• Support for young people at risk of
disengaging from education, and
for those who have already done so,
should focus on early intervention and
sustained support, and be related to
labour market demand
• STEM should sit at the heart of the
development of Scotland’s young
workforce.
Making Your Business
Our Business
On 4 February, leading employers from companies
across Ayrshire turned out for an evening with
the Board of Management and College managers
to find out how we plan to make their business
our business.
Participants watched a series of videos
showcasing how the College is
supporting businesses across Ayrshire.
You can watch these videos at
www1.ayrshire.ac.uk/news_blog/video
and read the latest edition of Ayrshire
College News for examples of the many
ways the college is supporting employers.
It is available at www1.ayrshire.c.uk
news_blog/news/1133_ayrshire_news.
David Ross of Keppie Design summed the
evening up;
“It was a really good evening and I
came away from it amazed at the energy,
momentum, enthusiasm and drive from
the College and its students. In building
a truly collaborative relationship
between business and education,
in my experience, Ayrshire College is
absolutely at the forefront in Scotland.”
Amongst the many outcomes from the
evening were a number of placement
and job opportunities for Ayrshire
College students.
These are all areas that Ayrshire
College is already acting on
and our portfolio for 2014-15
demonstrates this.
Our commitment to the principles
underpinning are being reflected in
our Outcome Agreement for 2014-17.
The Commission is considering how
to engage employers more effectively
at all levels of education.
Principal Heather Dunk delivered a
presentation on how Ayrshire engages
with employers at an national summit
hosted by the Commission on
31 March.