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Review of Scotland's Colleges
Background
The Review of Scotland's Colleges - RoSCo - was announced in June 2005. It was rightly described at the time as the most comprehensive review of the sector since incorporation.
The Review has taken the closest ever look at where colleges sit, or could sit, in supporting Scotland's economic and social well-being. Given that so much of what the college sector does, it does in partnership, RoSCo was set up to mirror this. It was very much a stakeholder-led review. We - the 'Core Group' - are the group of stakeholders responsible for co-ordinating the Review.
Information about the Review, including its remit is at Annex A. Our membership, which can be found at Annex B, extends widely because of the broad range of interests in the work of colleges. Other publications issued as part of the Review are outlined in Annex C.
We adopted a partnership approach throughout the Review. That proved to be challenging, more challenging perhaps at some times than others. However, our approach was extremely worthwhile. We each brought our own distinct perspectives to bear, and while there are a few issues where we could not all fully come to a single view, that was very much the exception. We certainly believe we have delivered a better product because of the way in which the Review was conducted.
Overview
Colleges on the whole deliver learning consistently well. In making Scotland stronger economically and a world leader in promoting a truly inclusive society, there are high ambitions to do even more, and - in a culture of continuous improvement that already pervades the sector - to strive to do more, better.
We envisage that colleges will have to work increasingly closer together with other organisations, such as employers and other education and training bodies, and with each other, over the years ahead. It is a challenge for the sector and for others to work in partnership, while encouraging where relevant, healthy competition. The key to this is achieving efficient, effective delivery while maximising public value.
There is much we can do to enhance the difference colleges make to the lives of learners and to the economy and wider society. The recommendations of this Review therefore extend to the further outcomes the sector can deliver for Scotland as well as how we can raise performance levels to those of the best.
The Review took a thorough approach in pursuing its remit. The outcome has been a remarkable number of recommendations (in the region of one hundred). Some are broad, some are detailed. All, however, are aimed at showing how colleges can make an even greater impact, based on their significant potential and their proven expertise. And based on a track record which, by any standard, is highly impressive and acknowledged far beyond Scotland.
The Review questions whether Scotland will be capable of developing and maintaining the highly-skilled, productive, creative and innovative workforce required of a vibrant and dynamic knowledge economy without thriving and well-resourced colleges operating at the heart of that process driving faster and more sustainable economic growth.
It is 14 years since Scotland's colleges were re-constituted as independent institutions. In that time they have honed their reputation and expertise for attracting individuals into learning, particularly those for whom study does not come naturally. In so doing, our colleges have become providers of genuine opportunity, regardless of background or financial circumstances. And having encouraged people to take the all-important first step into learning, Scotland's colleges understand clearly their role in helping learners progress that journey, including to higher national and degree level study.
The Review found that many people in Scotland - be they learners, employers or Ministers - look instinctively to our colleges as key agents in our common quest to deliver the society which we want to see. Scotland's colleges are anchored in communities and were founded on an outlook which makes anyone and everyone welcome. Colleges want their doors to be open to all - including many who, in previous years, would have walked by without a second glance.
We are seeing the emergence of more confident and aspirational Scots across society. We see greater diversity within our population which in some ways is broadening our definition of a Scot. We are also experiencing an increased drive for tolerance and opportunity which comes from within our society but is heavily influenced by ever widening exposure to cultures from other parts of the world.
All of this is having a significant effect on the expectations and aspirations of learners within our colleges. We must work hard to maintain an understanding of what learners want and, in some ways, work even harder to keep up with their perceptions of society and how they engage with society in general and learning in particular.
We need to raise the status of vocational skills because Scotland requires well-trained individuals to operate at all levels of our workforce. Colleges offer vocational opportunities and active choices for all, based on individual aspirations and abilities. This is essential if we are to improve our productivity and deliver stronger, sustainable economic performance.
We are seeing vocational learning increasingly recognised as an important constituent of a balanced education for school pupils of all abilities. In 2007/08 Skills for Work courses will be available across the country. These new courses have been designed to encourage learning though practical experience and to help young people develop the skills and attitudes they need for the workplace. They are principally delivered through school and college partnerships. There are important capacity issues that need to be addressed if we are to meet the level of pupil interest the courses are likely to generate.
Scotland's colleges work to deliver programmes which are helping learners fulfil their potential. Colleges help to develop responsible and skilled citizens who can give of their most to our economy and our society. The quality of the provision offered by Scotland's college sector continues to improve. Colleges are becoming more adept at responding to employer and learner needs in a flexible way, though there remains room for progress to be made. The financial health of the sector - which only six years ago was causing significant concern - has similarly shown sustained improvement.
We know that Scotland's colleges face challenges. While they have benefited from improved funding in recent years, and have made significant efficiency gains, colleges still struggle to offer places to everyone who wishes to engage in learning. Unions are concerned about recruitment and retention of high quality staff. There are calls from employers for more action to address skills gaps and shortages. We know that colleges have an important contribution to make to that. At the same time, there are too many eager learners who are confined to waiting lists for courses.
There would be an unmistakeable irony in the prospect that pressure on college places was associated with the very success colleges have achieved, supported by recent increases in resources. Colleges are seen as the natural focus for many who wish to improve their prospects through learning. That focus has been sustained by deliberate initiatives targeted at stimulating demand from individuals.
Alongside this robust demand, we have seen the wholesale transformation of the college estate and facilities in recent years. People are naturally inspired to learn by world-class colleges and state-of-the-art new campuses and facilities. The dismay felt by colleges is understandable, then, at having to turn away potential learners before they reach the college gates. This inability to meet the demand is reported by many colleges and has been a theme throughout the Review. Research is currently underway to better understand the regional and curricular implications of this unmet demand.
We suggest, therefore, that there are very sound economic and social reasons for the funded expansion of the college sector. Such an approach would inevitably involve underpinning current funding levels, and introducing additional funded capacity which takes account of both teaching and infrastructure costs. In offering this view of the future, we have become convinced that the expertise and the potential of colleges is not being fully exploited.
Colleges can do much more, and they can do more, better. They are key to addressing the undoubted - and unrelenting - demand for learning, and which Scots from all backgrounds continue to show. With the right support, colleges can make a bigger difference in transforming lives and in transforming Scotland.
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