A new national scheme aimed at boosting attainment and improving retention at Scotland’s colleges has been launched by further education minister Shirley-Anne Somerville. 

Five colleges will take part in the initiative’s first phase. According to the government, improvement work will take place in each of them, led by a college-based improvement team and supported by a Scottish government “improvement advisor”.

Lessons can then be learned from successful work at those five colleges over the next two years, said the government.

The colleges taking part in the first phase are Dundee and Angus, Edinburgh and Inverness colleges, as well as New College Lanarkshire and West College Scotland.   

Last year, Tes revealed the number of students successfully completing their course with at least partial success had dropped to 74.6 per cent between 2013-14 and 2014-15. 

‘I want more students to stay the course’

Ms Somerville said: “I want more students not just to enrol and to enter college, but to stay the course and emerge with a qualification that demonstrates they have fulfilled their potential.

“This improvement programme will look at the issues and challenges that often contribute to students not gaining a qualification - or, indeed, dropping out.

“Five colleges will form an improvement team and undertake testing, gathering information about what works to share across the sector, making sure we see a consistent increase in attainment and retention.

“Our colleges are well placed to achieve this. They are already at the forefront of creating a highly innovative and skilled, entrepreneurial future workforce.”

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