SRUC External Review 30 May 2014
Excellent practice
Working collaboratively to widen the experience and employability skills of
Further Education (FE) learners
As Scotland’s national institution for land-based industries, Education Division
managers recognise that FE learners would benefit from access to specialist
facilities across each of the six campuses to widen their experience of the industry.
They also identified the range of education, research and consultancy provision
presented exciting opportunities for FE learners to widen their employability skills
and aspirations.
To take this forward, college managers devised structures and strategies to support
cross-campus and cross-curriculum collaboration. This included the creation of six
teaching departments, each with responsibility for all taught provision from access
level FE to post-graduate degree across all campuses. Teaching departments
carried out subject area audits to ascertain the progression routes across all
programme areas from SCQF level 3-11 and the range and types of resources
available on individual campuses. The audits were used by cross-campus
programme teams to improve progression pathways, plan joint-campus activities and
coordinate arrangements for learners to gain experience of specialist projects and
facilities. These approaches have resulted in many FE learners increasing their
knowledge and understanding of the industry and the career opportunities available
to them. For example, FE learners on hospitality programmes work with the Food
and Drink Marketing Team within SRUC’s Consulting Division to gain direct
experience of development and marketing of new food products within an industry
environment. Learners on agricultural programmes worked with the Consulting
Division and a commercial seed company to research and evaluate the effectiveness
of different grass mixtures and establishment techniques. Learners on equine
programmes undertaking coaching awards, work with horses and riders from other
campuses to gain experience of coaching within a working, commercial environment.
These collaborative arrangements are increasing significantly the experience and
employability skills of learners on FE level programmes and are improving the
consistency and quality of the learner experience across the six campuses. In
addition, these arrangements are creating parity of esteem between FE and degree
level provision and providing a useful catalyst for staff across different programme
levels to work together and share and adopt effective practice.