Updating your curriculum to meet local industry needs

INDUSTRY RELATIONS

Today’s economic climate marks an exciting time for colleges. With the conclusion of the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan, new specialisms and trades in green and sustainable tech have become key qualifications in Scotland and across the UK. Education providers need to be agile enough to react to these new opportunities, affording learners the opportunity to take advantage of career growth, up- and re-skilling, and high-value vocational qualifications. The additional complexities come from managing partnerships and collaboration with industry. This complexity will be multiplied again by roles in new tech like AI and quantum computing, with Scottish colleges competing to become centres of excellence in technical skills.

GREEN SKILLS

As climate emergencies put pressure on governments to prioritise creating a greener future, the commitment to sustainability and the formalisation of green skills is increasingly pertinent. The target of net zero for Scotland by 2045 sets a deadline for the development of a skilled workforce. As with many vocational skills, learners will often spend the majority of their time on-site or in workshops and engineering environments; the requirements for providers to ensure learner’s safety, offer ongoing support and prioritise well-being is paramount to enable a diverse learner intake to thrive and achieve their best outcomes.

Online and hybrid courses are less popular now institutions have returned to in-person delivery, but remain a particular focus for upskilling, retraining, and adult learning, shifting away from more traditional classroom teaching. Alongside apprenticeships, providers today are required to be dynamic, engaging, and to accommodate different teaching and delivery methods as part of their offering. The role of colleges as a key function of the economy is most visible in the capacity of college to deliver green skills specific to their local economy, from maritime and offshore wind specialisms, to home building, retrofitting, solar power, and insulation installation.

NEWER QUALIFICATIONS

New qualifications will fundamentally change how colleges recruit, support, and re-recruit learners and students. As the government focuses on skills that build and stabilise the economy, colleges will need to be prepared for changes in vocational and academic qualifications. Many colleges will also continue to expand their delivery of higher education courses, offering hyperlocal specialisations in green power, sustainable construction, and the management of waste to reduce the impact on Scotland’s overall emissions.

This creates administrative burden for sites taking advantage of the opportunity to begin offering new qualifications. From associated curriculum setup to obtaining new sources of funding, or accommodating the additional exam requirements with awarding bodies; the undertaking requires consideration and planning, with appropriate systems and staffing in place to ensure a course recognises a return on investment.

APPRENTICESHIPS

Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2025 is just around the corner. It is an important time to consider our commitment to providing work-based learning opportunities for young people and career-switchers to train or up-skill into new trades, better preparing them for the future.

Apprenticeship offerings can be as unique as the apprentices that undertake them. The additional complexities of bespoke timetables, attendance management, safeguarding, and consistent communication with learners and trainers, require well-prepared systems and processes to ensure learners’ needs are met throughout the duration of the apprenticeship.,

Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2025 | Events across Scotland

CURRICULUM PLANNING

With every new academic year, there are several variables that cannot be confidently forecast ahead of results day. Institutions are often forced to make decisions on their course offerings very close to the first day of teaching in an academic year, causing delays in timetable scheduling and last-minute changes to planned course enrolments, based on the viability of specific courses. Using digital systems to assess course interest, the number of applicants, and the viability of running all planned courses, prevents providers running assessments and calculations as prospective learners are queueing to enrol.

FINDING A BETTER WAY

Tribal ebs MIS is designed for Further Education and Vocational Learning providers, empowering them to streamline their operations and enhance student engagement. ebs is new to Scotland, with North-East Scotland College going live in July 2025. ebs is already well established in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and New Zealand. With validation at point of entry, ebs will offer the full FES return along with HESA, and SQA integration.