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Deputy First Minister announces £13 million in funding.

Colleges in Scotland will benefit from the creation of 3,500 new places thanks to a multi-million pound funding package announced yesterday.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visited West College Scotland in Paisley to announce £13 million in funding to create the additional provision.

The cash has been made available by the Scottish Government via the Scottish Funding Council’s Skills for a Competitive Workforce project, and European Social Fund.

It will be used to fund college courses that will provide quality training for young unemployed people, and others who face challenges finding work. People currently in a job who want to learn new skills will also be offered retraining suited to the current labour market.

Extra places will be created on courses serving key growth sectors where skills are in demand, such as energy, food and drink, health, and digital media.

Visiting West College Scotland’s Institute of Construction and Engineering, Ms Sturgeon said:

“This funding will provide high-quality training in areas where skills are in particular demand, and will help many young people into work. It will also provide retraining to workers so that they can develop their existing skills.

“To secure sustained economic growth, Scotland needs to have a skilled and adaptable workforce. It is this type of joint investment that will help us meet this ambition.

“By investing in the development of skills in key growth areas now, we can help drive Scotland’s economy in the future. Scotland’s colleges, now fully focused on supporting young people towards work, have a key role to play in this work.

“Of course, with the powers of independence we would be able to go much further than we can at present with the limited powers available to us.

“Integrating the work done by job centres, by skills agencies and by our schools and colleges, in ways we cannot currently do, would allow us get even more people into work, and build a more prosperous Scotland.”

Commenting on the additional funding, Liz Connolly, Vice-Principal, Corporate Development at West College Scotland, said:

“West College Scotland is delighted by this award from the Scottish Funding Council and European Social Fund.

“We will use this additional funding to support our employability activity, especially for 16 to 19-year-olds. In particular, we will be looking for opportunities to invest in some of the key growth sectors of the Scottish economy - renewable energy, creative industries, and food and drink.

“It’s an important part of our remit to work with local employers, respond to their needs and meet their training requirements. This money will help us do that, to the benefit of the communities we serve.”

Laurence Howells, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said:

“This is great news for learners and I’m proud the Funding Council has been able to play a pivotal role in securing this investment. Across Scotland’s new college regions this means better life chances for young people, vital support for employers and better prospects for Scotland’s economy.”

Notes to editors

During her visit the Deputy First Minister is meeting three West College Scotland students who are doing a 12-week course in construction, providing them with a professional qualification in the shape of an SQA Intermediate 2 National Progression Award (Construction). This involves 27 to 30 hours per week for eight weeks in college, and four weeks work experience. The funding for additional places is intended to benefit students such as these, who face challenges finding employment.

Mathew Hunter (17)

Mathew left school last May and worked for a short time in a charity shop in Partick in Glasgow. He was keen to get a full-time job and had also been trying to get into college, eventually securing a place through Youth Employability Scotland. Mathew says he’s thoroughly enjoying his time at West College Scotland and is confident his time there will help him find a job.

Danah Jay O’Brien (17)

Danah left school in fifth year and was interested in a job that didn’t quite fit normal expectations. She tried mechanics for a few months and enjoyed the experience. She then decided to try another trade and applied to West College Scotland to get experience in construction. She’s amazed by how much she has learned in such a short space of time. She would like to have a career in stonemasonry. She says she loves to be able to stand back and say “I built that!”

Beth Leitch (17)

Beth left school at the age of 17 and trained as a tyre fitter for six months. She also did four weeks’ work experience at Allglass Reproductions in Linwood. Beth is really enjoying her time at West College Scotland, and says that working in a construction environment makes her feel positive about the future and more confident in her ability to succeed.

Indicative funding breakdown: