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Chapter 4: Partnerships
All of Scotland's colleges have developed partnerships with learners and with organisations such as the Scottish Executive, the Scottish Funding Council and award bearing organisations like the Scottish Qualifications Authority and City and Guilds.
The HMIE report, Improving Scottish Education, states that "close links between colleges and a range of partners, including schools, higher education institutions, community groups, employers and the enterprise networks have created effective learning opportunities and progression routes for learners from a range of backgrounds".
Colleges also work closely with organisations represented on community learning and development partnerships such as local authorities, voluntary organisations, police, health and social services. These partnerships reflect the geographical and local needs of the area in which the college operates. In addition they liaise with a wide range of partners such as trade unions, lead industry bodies, local economic fora, local enterprise companies, the Skills for Business Network and Sector Skills Councils, other colleges, universities and private training providers to determine appropriate curriculum opportunities.
Colleges work with other partner agencies to provide support for learning, for example, Skill Scotland, and local counselling and support services. In some cases, colleges operate across a number of local authority areas.
They also work closely together. For example, the Colleges Open Learning Exchange Group ( COLEG) was established in January 1995 to develop learning opportunities through member colleges working together to generate, exchange and promote the use of high quality flexible learning materials. The group's catalogue spans almost the full breadth of subject areas and is designed to provide open learning, resource and assessment materials and support across a wide range of levels including Higher National and National Qualifications.
As the following case study shows, colleges are also working together with the Scottish Qualifications Authority to modernise all Higher National qualifications. It is an unique partnership model of national curriculum change involving all colleges in Scotland.
Case Study: Higher National Modernisation Project
The Higher National Modernisation Project aims to modernise all HN qualifications to ensure that they continue to provide Scotland with a competent workforce which meets the needs of a modern economy and, in doing so, contribute to the Scottish Executive's policy objectives, particularly on enterprise, employability, inclusion, work force development and lifelong learning.
Achievements of the modernisation process include:
- improving the efficiency of the HN catalogue of qualifications by rationalisation of the range of qualifications offered;
- modernisation of all HN qualifications to ensure 'fitness for purpose' in a global economy;
- strengthening quality assurance arrangements with reduced assessment burdens for students and lecturers;
- supporting the continued professional development of college staff in the design, assessment and delivery of HN qualifi cations; and
- assisting in the implementation of the Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework.
The Scottish Funding Council has dedicated funding to this national curriculum development programme, which is managed on behalf of the sector by Anniesland College. The funding is allocated by the HN Project Board. This Board has established key funding principles that ensure:
- funding priority is allocated to HN Group Awards that have the widest benefit to the sector;
- funding for specialist developments will reflect benefits in the sector and the Scottish economy; and
- priority will be given to developments which contribute to rationalisation and collaboration.
Streams of funding are available to support agencies ( COLEG and the Scottish Further Education Unit) who have developed sector-wide initiatives that support the HN Programme.
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