Principal and Chief Executive

Ayrshire College is one of the largest colleges in Scotland, formed in 2013 from the merger of the former Ayr and Kilmarnock Colleges and the Ayrshire campuses of the former James Watt College. The College has around 900 staff spread over three large campuses in the towns of Ayr, Kilmarnock and Kilwinning, and a Skills Centre of Excellence located in Irvine Royal Academy. The College serves a population of 370,000 people and provides more than 700 courses to 13,000 students.

Ayrshire College is a vibrant, student centred place of learning, whose vision ‘raising aspirations inspiring achievement and increasing opportunities’, sets the scene for engaging and encouraging students toward achieving their ambitions.

The College provides a comprehensive range of flexible learning opportunities to suit all learning needs across an extensive curriculum. Courses range from entry-level short courses to HND’s on a full and part-time basis. With work-based learning opportunities and alternatives to full-time study, the College supports people to develop and progress whatever stage they are at in their lives.

Ayrshire College works with the three local authorities - East, North and South Ayrshire - and plays an active and key role in the corresponding Community Planning Partnerships. The College also works with the region’s 26 secondary schools, as well as special needs schools.

The College is a strategic business partner of the Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce and a key member of the Developing the Young Workforce Ayrshire Steering Group. Significant economic sectors in the region include aerospace, engineering, health and social care, early education and hospitality and tourism. The College collaborates with employers and industry bodies to plan the provision of courses to address growth in these and other sectors. With over 900 apprentices in training at any given time, the College is the main provider of STEM apprenticeships in the region and the College has also been accredited as STEM Assured by the STEM Foundation. The College is also committed to delivering the Scottish Government’s ambitions for increased early years learning opportunities and this is a significant area of growth.

College students continue to flourish and the SQA College Candidate of the Year award was won by an Ayrshire College student four years in a row between 2014 and 2017. Student satisfaction levels are very high, with 93% of students satisfied with their college experience and 94% of leavers are in a positive destination six months after completing their course.

The College works closely with the Ayrshire College Student Association to improve the student experience and their commitment to delivering excellence was recognised by the National Union of Students (UK) when they were awarded the Overall FE Student Union of the Year in 2017-18.

Ayrshire College staff are extremely knowledgeable, passionate and dedicated and the College’s Gold IIP accreditation affirms its commitment to recruiting, retaining and developing staff to allow them to progress in their career.

The College has been an integral partner in the development of the Ayrshire Growth Deal and its associated projects since inception, during which it has helped to promote the projects to senior representatives from the Scottish Government, raising awareness within the UK Government at Westminster and communicating benefits to the local business base through formal and informal events. The College has engaged with all relevant projects which make up the growth deal to ensure that the skills system supports and is aligned to growth opportunities.