The new Edinburgh College has announced the name of its first Principal. MANDY EXLEY, who is currently Principal and Chief Executive at Jewel & Esk College, will take over the position when Edinburgh College launches on October 1. Her appointment provides the final key link in the process that will see Edinburgh’s Telford, Stevenson and Jewel and Esk Collges combine to allow the creation of a bigger, stronger and better college serving Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Ian McKay, Chair (Elect) of Edinburgh College, said: “We are delighted to have someone of the calibre and pedigree of Mandy Exley lead Edinburgh College at the start of this exciting journey. We have given a commitment that Edinburgh College will change the face of further education in Edinburgh and Lothians and with Mandy’s previous experience at the helm of Jewel & Esk College, and the vision she has for the new College, we are ideally placed to fulfil our ambition.”
The rigorous selection process to find a Principal for what will be one of the biggest and most influential colleges in Scotland has been conducted over a number of months. In a new development, the process also included the involvement of the leadership of the student body in the college – the President and three vice Presidents of the Edinburgh College Students’ Association. This was seen as an important part of working with and for students in the new College.
John Martin, President of Edinburgh College Students’ Association, said: “The Students’ Association were pleased to be invited to be a part of the interview process, and particularly the value that has been placed on our opinion. Students should be at the centre of every decision making process as colleges across Scotland go through unprecedented changes and tribulations in the coming years and I hope that this sets a precedent for all future appointments of major office holders within Colleges, including membership of Boards of Governors. I congratulate Mandy on her success and look forward to working positively with her over the coming year to make sure our students get the best possible experience out of their life-changing time at Edinburgh College.”
Ian McKay added: “We believe it’s the first time that the student body have played a part in a Principal’s appointment. That illustrates the depth of the recognition of, and commitment to, the students, who we have always said are the most important people in the new College.”
Mandy has a long history of leadership in education in Scotland having served for the last two years as Principal at Jewel & Esk College and previously as Principal at the University of the Highlands & Islands Perth College. She said that she is looking forward to Edinburgh College playing its part in securing improved prosperity for everyone who lives and works in Edinburgh and the Lothians.
She said: “The creation of Edinburgh College is about a journey from good to great. The three existing colleges are really good in their own right but together, they can deliver great results. The College aims to deliver the very best education and training to students. By achieving that, we have an opportunity to build an economic powerhouse – to play a vital role in getting individuals back to work and to deliver skilled people needed in those economic sectors where Scotland can enjoy a genuine competitive advantage.”
Mandy added that with each college having an impressive reputation for forward thinking and innovation, it would allow ‘centres of excellence’ in key learning fields to be developed in the new College.
“The College itself will become a ‘centre of excellence’, building on the existing strengths of the three colleges to foster growth, opportunity and economic development. We are confident Edinburgh College will compete with the best in Britain and that it will be a College we can all be proud of,” she said.
Mandy has worked in education for more 20 years and her career has been both in England and Scotland, working in large inner city colleges in Birmingham, Manchester and Stoke and rural colleges in Gloucestershire, Perth and the Highlands and Islands. Her work has been recognised beyond the college and she has served on a number of Government and Scotland’s Colleges’ Task Groups including the current Government Change Team. She is a Board Director of the Scottish Institute for Enterprise and has a particular interest in Public Value and leads on promoting this work for Scotland’s Colleges.
The new Edinburgh College will operate from four main campuses employing more than 1,500 staff; Granton (formerly Edinburgh’s Telford College), Sighthill (formerly Stevenson College Edinburgh) and Milton Road and Midlothian (both formerly Jewel & Esk College).
The College, a £60m business and the biggest FE college in Scotland, will accommodate more than 35,000 students – the biggest student body in Edinburgh – when it opens next month.
