Edinburgh College – Page 6 – The NEN

Edinburgh College appoints two new Board members

Edinburgh College’s Board of Management has appointed two new non-executive members to support it in leading the strategic direction of the College.

The new members are experienced figures in Scottish public life and have an extensive background in digital, data analytics and IT infrastructure, within the private sector. The new Board members are former Chief Executive Officer of Vianet Group PLC. Stewart Darling and Kerry McCormack, Head of IT at First Sentier Investors.

As Chief Executive Officer of Vianet Group PLC, Stewart Darling led the transformation of the business from a service provider to a technology company, and established new revenue streams that delivered multiple years of growth which saw the value of the business double as it became a leading player in the Internet of Things and data analytics industry.

Stewart has also served as a Non-Executive Director of the governing body for golf in Scotland.

Kerry McCormack is an experienced IT professional, leading a Global IT team at First Sentier Investors. Prior to taking up the Global Head of IT role in 2018, Kerry had joined First Sentier Investors as an Application Developer in 2001 before progressing to become a member of the IT Leadership team.

Kerry has been involved in a broad range of global strategic projects reflecting her specialist IT knowledge and experience of the investment management industry.

Interim Chair of Edinburgh College’s Board of Management Ann Landels said: “On behalf of the Board, I would like to welcome Stewart and Kerry to their new roles. Both have a vast wealth of experience in both digital and IT infrastructure, as well as strong links within important areas of our curriculum.

“Their respective experiences and skillsets will serve the College and the Board well as we aim to continue maximising experiences and opportunities for all of our students.”

Edinburgh College Principal Audrey Cumberford said: “I am delighted to welcome Stewart and Kerry to the Board of Management as we work to achieve our ambitions for the future.

“Their industry experience and knowledge and, in particular, expertise in the use of technology will undoubtably support the College in delivering for our students, communities, local businesses, and employers at a time when using technology to develop new ways of working and learning have never been more pertinent.

“The depth and breadth of experience of our Board is hugely important and I look forward to working with our new members.”

Find out more about the Edinburgh College Board of Management.

Find out how to access free professional training for employees with Edinburgh College

Businesses have the opportunity to learn about free professional training available for their staff at an information event hosted by Edinburgh College later this month.

The College is hosting the event both online and in-person at its Sighthill Campus from 8.30am with the aim of showcasing training opportunities available to SMEs and large companies through the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF). 

The information event, taking place on Thursday 24 February 2022, will see business delegates learn about the FWDF from Edinburgh College’s Business Development Advisors, as well as meeting expert lecturers who will discuss the range of subjects available to businesses and employees.

Attendees will also hear from Tracey Bork, Head of People at Lothian Buses, about her experience of applying for fully funded training with Edinburgh College.

If delegates cannot attend in person, the College is streaming the presentations and interview taking place during the event via Microsoft Teams.

A link for the live stream and joining instructions will be available soon after registering for the event. Online delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions through a Q&A function within Teams.

The College encourages anyone who intends to attend the event in person to take a lateral flow COVID-19 test before they arrive.

The Flexible Workforce Development Fund, offered by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council, facilitated by Scottish colleges, offers larger organisations and SMEs, across the private, public and third sectors, an opportunity to apply for fully funded training for their teams.  

The funding provides SMEs with up to £5,000 of free training; and larger employers (those with an annual payroll bill of £3m+) with up to £15,000 of free training.

To register your attendance either in person or online, please book via the Edinburgh College website.

See the full event agenda below:

Time	Activity
8.10am	Network, coffee and morning roll.
8.30am	Introduction to the College, training opportunities and funding options.
8.50am	Interview with Tracey Bork, Head of People at Lothian Buses, about the client’s experience of accessing the fund through Edinburgh College.
9.05am	A presentation from Edinburgh College and the Training Development team about professional training courses and management soft skills (CMI, CIPD, ILM, bespoke).
9.15am	A talk on ‘Adapting to new working conditions during the pandemic’ from John Chalmers – Learning and Development Manager at Business Stream.
9.35am	Networking opportunity.
9.50am	Round-up and close.

Edinburgh College Open Day

Edinburgh College Open Day on Friday 4 February is for school pupils looking at their options at college.

You will have the opportunity to book a place on our live Q and A sessions to find out more about the different subject areas you can study.

Book your place now:

https://edinburghcollege.ac.uk/news-and-events/events/open-days

SNIPEF’s Training Services up for national Award for Excellence

The Scotland and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation’s (SNIPEF) training arm, SNIPEF Training Services, (STS) working together as a task group with nine of Scotland’s colleges, has been shortlisted in the category of “Best Use of Technology in the Delivery of Plumbing Training” by BPEC, the nationally recognised training organisation which is set to hold its Annual Awards for Excellence 2021 ceremony online on Wednesday 8 December.

STS subcontracts off-the-job training to 18 colleges located across Scotland where around 850 apprentices are currently in training. The COVID-19 lockdown and the closure of colleges throughout the country, presented the challenge of ensuring apprentices remained on track to complete their Plumbing & Heating (P&H) Modern Apprenticeship (MA).

Apprentices were unable to enter college premises to undertake their theoretical/practical assessments in the SQA assessments rooms, so STS approached the MA joint awarding bodies, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and the Scottish and Northern Ireland Joint Industry Board (SNIJIB) to explore alternative assessments (AA) procedures.

Dale Thomson, Apprentice Training Manager for SNIPEF, said: “First, we had to ensure any new assessments could be accessed by all apprentices from the safety of their own homes, so we decided to use Microsoft Forms as all apprentices have a Microsoft account.

“Second, with distance learning, we had to ensure that all apprentices had access to suitable IT equipment and were able to undertake assessments, so we worked with our subcontractors to facilitate this.”

Together the task group created 19 AAs with three variations each, typically with around 20/40 questions in each assessment. The work for the AAs ensured that when colleges were able to return, they only had to get apprentices up to date with their practical assessments.

Dale Thomson added: “The new AAs have been well received from employers, apprentices and the Scottish Government’s Skills Minister, Jamie Hepburn.

“Due to its success the joint awarding bodies asked STS to look after and maintain the AAs which will in due course replace the SQA solar assessments.”

Fiona Hodgson, Chief Executive of SNIPEF, said: “The clarity and determination with which the task group addressed the issue and rapidly developed an excellent alternative solution is a tribute to the professionalism of its members.

“It is gratifying to have been shortlisted for this award which, in its own way, underlines the importance of applying new technologies to a range of issues not only within the plumbing and heating sector but in the UK construction industry generally.”

Community Carol Concert at Granton Gas Holder

I wanted to spread some festive cheer and send details of a free outdoor Christmas Carol Concert led by Edinburgh College taking place at Forthquarter Park by the Granton Gasholder next Thursday 9^th December at 6pm.

It is a free outdoor event, with some complimentary mulled wine and mince pies on offer provided by North Edinburgh Arts café. The music will be led by the Edinburgh College music department, including the Edinburgh College Chamber Choir, String Ensemble and Clarinet Quartet. There will be carol sheets for singing along!

The college are looking for local people that might be interested in doing a festive reading, or a young person to do the solo for the first verse of Away in a Manager. If that might be of interest, please do let me know.

See below for link to the Facebook page – please do share with your networks, and perhaps see some of you there!

https://facebook.com/events/s/community-carol-concert-at-the/259818786204101/

With best festive wishes,

Fay

Fay Butler| Programme Officer|Edinburgh Waterfront| Place| City of Edinburgh Council

Edinburgh College launches new partnership as part of #16DaysofAction

Edinburgh College has launched a new partnership as part of this year’s 16 Days of Action Against Domestic Violence.

As part of the College’s support for the 16 Days of Action campaign, it has launched a new partnership with Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, which will see students who have experienced sexual violence receive one-to-one support.

Students across the Edinburgh College Community who have experienced sexual violence at any time of their life will be offered long-term, trauma-informed, one-to-one support. This support will be offered in blocks of six sessions, with students having access to up to 18 individual sessions if needed.

Any students on the College support waiting list will be given the opportunity to access the normal Rape Crisis services for short-term support while they wait. This is in the form of the Here and Now service for over 18s or the STAR Project for under 18s.

If you would like to refer yourself to this service, please email:

studentsurvivors@ercc.scot

or call 0131 556 9437, call/text 07966 067 301 and state you are an Edinburgh College student. Please note staff cannot refer students.

The 16 Days of Action campaign has been used as a call for the worldwide elimination of gender-based violence.

It is run annually from 25 November (International Day Against Violence Against Women) to 10 December (International Human Rights Day).

Edinburgh College opens new digital care hub for students

Edinburgh College has launched a new digital care hub, in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, designed to provide greater skills and opportunities to health and social care students in the Lothians.

The Edinburgh College Digital Care Hub, located at the College’s Sighthill Campus, will equip students with the transferrable skills required to fulfil a successful career in areas including Health and Social Care, Dental and Pharmacy with a particular emphasis on technology enabled care.

The hub will focus on building students’ digital and practical skills through its state-of-the-art equipment, supporting experiential learning in a purpose-built setting.

It contains a replica medical ward with patient room, toilet and wet room facilities; an infection control and decontamination area; a reflection room; a care at home room; as well as a virtual reality room designed to give students an immersive experience which demonstrates how a patient with dementia experiences day-to-day life.

Within the care hub students have access to realistic patient simulators with true-to-life responsiveness, in a variety of care settings, enabling them to develop patient testing and care skills.

Also key to the role of the digital care hub is embedding the principles of professionalism amongst students and fostering the meta skills required to work in a care environment including communication, nurture, resilience, initiative and leadership.

The new facility hosts the Edinburgh College and University of Edinburgh Social Care Academy which provides an agile pathway to a career in health and social care specifically for school pupils.

As part of the programme, pupils study units in digital skills for health and social care, mental health, the human body, infection prevention and control and safe beginners for health and social care.

After successfully completing the programme, pupils are able to progress on to further studies with the College or university or advance into employment.

The digital care hub was launched during an event attended by representatives from key institutions connected to the College and the new hub, and brought together those with a collective interest in supporting the future of the health and care sector.

Audrey Cumberford, Edinburgh College Principal and CEO, said: “We are delighted to be launching our Digital Care Hub in partnership with the University of Edinburgh.

“The facility will provide practical learning experiences for pupils and students as well as exposing them to many sector specialisms which they ordinarily might miss out on without having access to specialist equipment in a health and care setting.

“The COVID pandemic has highlighted the importance of our health and care workers across the country and through addressing the national skills gaps in digital enabled care, the Digital Care Hub, through partnership working with industry, is ready to provide a pipeline of future workers equipped with the skills and knowledge required to meet the demands of the sector and population.”

Professor Peter Mathieson, Principal and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Edinburgh, said: “We are delighted to work with Edinburgh College on the Digital Care Hub, which will be an excellent resource for those considering a career within health and social care.

“Harnessing technology to support learning in this way and simulate real-life scenarios in the workplace will enable students to make informed choices about their future, built on their own ambitions and potential.”

Story Valley: Cities of Literature meet in Edinburgh to forge new ideas for improving literacy skills

Edinburgh, UNESCO’s first City of Literature, last week played host to the first meeting of a unique European partnership group, The Story Valley initiative, to coincide with the Scottish International Storytelling Festival and the 250th anniversary of the birth of Sir Walter Scott.

The City of Edinburgh Council, together with Edinburgh College, welcomed Story Valley partners from three other European UNESCO Cities of Literature – Leeuwarden, in the Netherlands, Ljubljana, Slovenia’s Capital and Nottingham, UK – as the group came together to create new policy ideas.

This is part of its manifesto to use storytelling to improve literacy skills, while preserving and enriching cultural heritage through collaboration.

As part of the visit, the programme has brought together the city’s literary sector and cultural partners – Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature, Scottish Poetry Library, Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) and Scottish Storytelling Centre – and showcased the exciting work and projects taking place in Edinburgh.

During the three-day programme Story Valley partners visited Edinburgh College to see the project in action, share best practice and explore potential collaborations, visited the Scottish International Storytelling Festival and spoke to representatives from innovative projects happening across the city.

These included: Super Power Agency, a creative writing programme, using writing for confidence building amongst hard to reach 8-18 year olds in Edinburgh; the Creative Words for Well-being project by the Scottish Poetry Library; Street Reads Library, a safe space connecting homeless people with books; the Digital Storytelling project by the Scottish Book Trust; and EIBF’s Citizen Project.

The programme was topped off by a light spectacular on Thursday (28 October) as the Granton Gasholder, recently brought to life in partnership with Edinburgh College, as part of the £1.3billion Granton Waterfront project, was lit up in Story Valley colours.

The Story Valley initiative is funded by the ERASMUS+ Programme of the European Union.

The City of Edinburgh Council, Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Donald Wilson, said: “As the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, we’re very proud to be hosting the Story Valley partner cities in Edinburgh for the first time, sharing ideas, inspiring one another and working together with the ultimate goal of improving literacy across Europe through the wonders of telling stories of our past.

“Through this visit’s programme our Edinburgh partners have captured our Scottish culture and Edinburgh’s passion for its literary and cultural heritage while also showcasing our world-renowned Storytelling Festival. Everyone has gained a lot from this experience and I’m sure will be taking a lot away with them while planning the next gathering to progress the initiative.”

Ali Bowden from Edinburgh City of Literature, said: “We’re really pleased to be working with Edinburgh College, the Council and our sister Cities of Literature on Story Valley.

“Edinburgh has a strong storytelling tradition and it’s great that the students and organisations working on this project are finding new ways for storytelling to make a difference in people’s lives.”

Edinburgh College Assistant Principal of Curriculum for Creative Industries, Jakki Jeffery, said: “We’re really excited to welcome our partners from Leeuwarden, Ljubljana and Nottingham to Edinburgh as part of the Story Valley project and are looking forward to showcasing the work of Edinburgh College’s Creative Industries faculty and sharing examples of good practice between the VET and further education institutions.

“Partners will have the opportunity to work on each of the Intellectual Outputs face-to-face for the first time and to meet some of our staff and students involved in the project to see first-hand what they have been working on.”

Edinburgh College to host the first Lego League

Edinburgh College is delighted to be hosting #FIRSTLEGOLEAGUE at Sighthill Campus in December.

This is a wonderful occasion for teams of young people to represent their schools and take part in a highly interactive challenge, designed to develop their coding and programming skills.

Engage your team about designing creative solutions to tackle real-world problems by programming a robot in this year’s #FIRSTLEGOLEAGUE #CARGOCONNECT season.

For more information, visit:

https://buff.ly/3a5pTtM @FLLUK @edinburghcoll

Students fly the Edinburgh College flag at WorldSkills UK competition

Four Edinburgh College students have qualified for national WorldSkills UK finals having triumphed in a series of qualifying heats in their respective fields of study.

Damian Tchorzewski and Liam Ward have qualified for the Automotive Technology final, while Ben Nicolson and Corrie Kettrick have qualified for the Stonemasonry final.

Automotive Technology

Damian, who recently studied Electric/Hybrid Vehicle System Repair and Replacement, and Liam, who studies Light Vehicle Repair and Maintenance Principles, reached the finals following a qualifying process.

Stage one saw the duo sit a test that consisted of 30 questions in 30 minutes. The highest scorers from regions across the UK then progressed to stage two where they were tasked with completing five challenges on a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) program, under timed conditions.

Damian and Liam were among the six best performers in this qualifier and will compete in the national final taking place at Cardiff and Vale College on Friday 19th November.

Stonemasonry

This year’s Stonemasonry qualifiers – SkillBuild – did not take place due to COVID-19, however Ben and Corrie will have the chance to experience competition as they have been selected to participate in the national final.

The duo, who study at the College’s Forthside Construction facility, will travel to the National Construction College in Norfolk on 16-18 November where they will complete a set of stone-cutting challenges in competition with two Stonemasons students from Bath College.

Scott Warden, Head of the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment at Edinburgh College, said: “Congratulations to Damian, Liam, Ben and Corrie on qualifying for their WorldSkills finals – it is an outstanding achievement.

“WorldSkills UK, and skills competitions in general, are a fantastic way for our students and apprentices to network with peers from across the country, to test their skills in a new and challenging environment, and to boost their confidence.

“We’re delighted that four of our students will experience that this year and have the opportunity to be named among the best in the UK in their field. We wish them the best of luck.”