Quality Report 2015 | Page 40

Student and employer focus groups contributed to the redesign of ICT courses resulting in all courses from level 5 to 8 focusing on core object oriented programming skills as well as Oracle SQL. Student and staff focus groups also looked at the design of our SCQF Level 5 and 6 courses in business administration which resulted in shorter, more focused courses to improve retention and attainment. We increased entry and exit points with students able to achieve a selection of NPAs and group awards within either 18 weeks or a full academic year. The course redesign also responded to key skills shortages identified through employer engagement, such as social media marketing which is now included in all new courses. Business and IT To stimulate interest in computer coding amongst young people aged 7-17 years old, we established CoderDojo Ayrshire to help to address a significant long-term skills gap in a growing sector in Scotland. The College had the most active CoderDojo club in Scotland in 2014-15 with nearly 300 young people attending events at college campuses, in primary and secondary schools, and cultural centres across Ayrshire. We held a girls-only CoderDojo on International Girls in ICT Day in April 2015. Staff and students volunteered as mentors at all of these clubs. Click here to read more about‘Girls Into ICT’ on our blog 40 AYRSHIRE COLLEGE / QUALITY REPORT 2014/15 We increased students