Tag: Jamie Hepburn MSP

More Scottish students than ever in Scotland’s universities

A record number of Scottish domiciled students have enrolled at the country’s universities.

The latest Higher Education Student Statistics show the number of Scottish domiciled students studying at Scotland’s universities rose from 180,170 in 2020-21 to 183,025 in 2021-22.

There was also a record number of full-time Scottish domiciled first degree entrants recorded, with 5,595 Scots from Scotland’s most deprived areas entering university. This is an 41% increase since the establishment of the Commission on Widening Access.

Scottish universities also saw a record number of students qualifying in 2021-22, increasing by over 13% – from 82,850 in 2020-21 to 93,775 a year later.

Higher and Further Education Minister Jamie Hepburn said: “It is hugely encouraging to see a record number of Scottish domiciled students taking advantage of the world-class universities on our doorstep. These figures demonstrate the continued strength of our university sector.

“We continue to make progress to widen access, with a record number of students from Scotland’s most deprived communities securing a place at university.

“We are committed to the principle that access to education should be based on the ability to learn. Every child growing up in Scotland should have an equal chance of attending university, regardless of their background and circumstances.

“The sharp drop in EU students coming to Scotland’s university is bitterly disappointing – an inevitable consequence of the UK Government’s hugely damaging Brexit.

“The Scottish Government has invested record amounts in student support over recent years, and we will keep working with universities to ensure this funding continues to pay dividends.”

The Higher Education Student Statistics 2021-22 show:

  • A record number of students enrolled at Scottish HEIs in 2021-22: an increase from last year of 6.5% (+18,355) to 301,230 and a 30.9% increase since 2006-07.
  1. Scottish domiciled              183,025        (+1.6%,   +2,855 since 2020-21)
  2. rUK domiciled                    35,730          (+3.5%,   +1,210 since 2020-21)
  3. Non-EU domiciled              65,300          (+37.1%, +17,670 since 2020-21)
  4. EU domiciled                     17,140          (-16.6%,  -3,410 since 2020-21)

There was also a record 33,880 Scottish domiciled full-time first degree entrants, an increase of 595 from 2020-21.

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Stepping Up: Minister visits Wester Hailes High School to learn about ENABLE’s vision for the future of young disabled people

Pupils at Wester Hailes High School welcomed Jamie Hepburn MSP, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education, Youth Employment and Training, to their classroom yesterday to showcase ENABLE Works’ Stepping Up programme.

The ground-breaking initiative, established in 2009 by ENABLE, Scotland’s largest charity for people with learning disabilities, supports young people who have a learning disability to build and explore their aspirations for the future, helping them to positively progress into employment, education and industry training upon leaving school.

Stepping Up currently has a 98% positive destination success rate for young people with learning disabilities – higher than current school leaver statistics across the country. The programme aims to tackle the underrepresentation of people with learning disabilities in the workplace through early intervention.

During his visit to Wester Hailes High School, Mr Hepburn heard directly from students who take part in Stepping Up about how the variety of interactive workshops and training activities have helped to increase their confidence and develop their employability skills and has allowed them the chance to realise their potential and consider their aspirations for the future.

Mr Hepburn was also able to get involved in an interview workshop, aimed at building employability skills, and had the chance to try ENABLE Works’ Virtual Reality (VR) headset, as the programme utilises the latest technologies to allow the young people involved to truly be able to envision their future. 

Jay, one of the Stepping Up students, explained what the programme has meant to him: “I have really enjoyed my time on Stepping Up so far, as I’ve learned a lot about college and work and had the chance to try new things such as the VR headset, while working alongside people in a similar position to me.

“As a pupil in fifth year, I’ve started thinking about what I’d like to do after school. Before Stepping Up I really wasn’t sure what was next for me, I didn’t know much about the world of work, and I wouldn’t have known how to write a CV or how to act in an interview. Thanks to the programme, I now understand how to do these things and I feel much more prepared.

“I’ve been discussing college courses and I’m feeling really excited about what options are out there for me. I’d love to study drama or film and I’m looking forward to visiting different colleges to learn more about the full-time options.”

Director of ENABLE Works, Ashley Ryan said: “Stepping Up is the only programme of its kind in Europe and now operates in over 75 schools across Scotland, making a real difference to the lives of thousands of young people.

“We were very pleased to have welcomed Mr Hepburn to Wester Hailes High School to see first-hand the impact the programme is having on disabled young people, to overcome any barriers that can prevent a positive transition from school into adulthood.

“Helping equip young people with learning disabilities with the confidence and skills they need to positively progress into employment or further education is invaluable, and we hope this early intervention will help to close the disability employment gap that exists in Scotland.”

Jamie Hepburn MSP, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education, Youth Employment and Training, said: “It has been inspiring to hear about the vital work that ENABLE does to connect disabled young people to fair work, education and productive activities designed to support a successful transition into adult life and work.

“The Scottish Government is committed to supporting organisations, such as ENABLE, to ensure that people with additional support needs are given a wealth of opportunities.

“I look forward to learning more about the progress of the Stepping Up programme.”

For more information on the Stepping Up programme please contact the ENABLE Works team on enable.works@enable.org.uk or 0300 0200 101.

Business Minister to deliver keynote address at Industry 4.0 conference

Craiglockhart campus exteriors in autumn sunshine

A MAJOR conference will turn the spotlight on the skills needed to drive economic growth in the 21st century.

Business Minister Jamie Hepburn MSP will deliver the keynote address at the event at Edinburgh Napier University’s Business School on Wednesday October 23. Continue reading Business Minister to deliver keynote address at Industry 4.0 conference