Julia Belgutay, Tes’ deputy FE editor, outlines her hopes for the year ahead in Scotland’s further education sector:

Clarity over what Brexit will mean for colleges. As the new year gets underway, very little is known about what Brexit will look like or mean in practice. Or, if you ask some, whether it will even happen.

Vision for the growth of apprenticeships. With the Scottish government confirming its commitment to growing apprenticeship numbers in the recent budget, colleges will need to ensure that, in a diversifying provider market, they stake their claim both for Modern Apprenticeships and the more recently introduced Foundation Apprenticeships.

Building on colleges’ strengths. The sector has always been resilient, and will need to continue in that vein if it is to avoid losing out to other parts of the education sector in an ever-changing environment.

Colleges sharing best practice. It is something that, in the day-to-day running of institutions, there is often too little time for, but which is still of crucial importance in times of this much uncertainty. Across the UK, colleges have areas of expertise others can learn a huge amount from, if only they lifted their heads and entered a dialogue.

Fair pay and conditions. Bargaining systems differ across the UK, and each nation has taken a markedly different path in pay and conditions negotiations.
Why not try and learn the lessons of that as all colleges battle tight budgets and increasing salary costs, and college staff do their best to fight for fair pay
and conditions?

Julia tweets @jbelgutay