SFC is hosting a British Sign Language (BSL) Showcase Event on Thursday 9 May, at the Hilton Carlton Hotel in Edinburgh, in conjunction with BSL Scotland Act 2015 Partnership.
This free event is being run to promote British Sign Language plans within colleges and universities, and provide an opportunity for institutions and agencies to share their experiences on the introduction of BSL plans and how best we can use them to achieve progress.
It will be fully supported by BSL interpreters – staff and students who use BSL are particularly encouraged to join us on the day to take part in the discussion.
Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science Richard Lochhead MSP will provide the keynote address.
Colleges and Universities will then talk about the development of these plans and how they will be used to meet the needs of BSL students. They will also cover the challenges faced by institutions. This session will then be opened up to a panel to support an interactive discussion with the audience.
Later in the day students and interpreters will also share their experiences outlining what works well for them as well as any issues they face.
Event programme [PDF]
Lunch and refreshments will be provided throughout. Any dietary or access requirements can be noted on the accompanying registration form.
The event is free but anyone wishing to attend must
Four Scottish projects have been chosen to prepare final bids for the UK-wide Strength in Places Fund.
UK Research and Innovation will support the shortlisted projects to develop their case for up to £50 million of investment to drive substantial economic growth in particular areas of the country. The bids will be considered before the end of this year.
The University of Strathclyde is leading a proposal to boost a “bio-revolution” in the Central Belt by the development of new biology-based products and platforms.
The University of Glasgow is working on its bid to create a Waterfront Innovation Campus focused on the photonics, optoelectronics and quantum technology industries growing in Glasgow.
A second University of Glasgow-led project could be on track to establish the Living Lab in precision medicine, bringing medical science and innovation excellence into NHS Scotland.
Finally, FinTech Scotland is looking to succeed at the final bid stage with it plan to create a Global Centre of Excellence in Open Banking in Edinburgh.
The Strength in Places Fund is designed to make it possible for regions to tap into the world-class research and innovation carried out in universities across the UK. The fund brings together research organisations, businesses and local leaders, supporting them in working together to create new jobs and build economic prosperity in their areas.
Chief Executive of UK Research and Innovation, Professor Sir Mark Walport, said:
“Our clear vision is to ensure we benefit everyone through knowledge, talent and ideas. Significant support through the Strength in Places Fund will further catalyse economic potential across the country by bringing researchers, industry and regional leadership together to drive sustained growth through world-class research and innovation.”
Stuart Fancey, Director of Research and Innovation at the Scottish Funding Council, said:
“Competition to be shortlisted was incredibly fierce and there had to be strong evidence that the projects would have a positive impact on their regions.
Scotland has world-leading research in each of its 19 universities and exciting business opportunities to build on, so Scottish-based bids were strong contenders in the process. I am delighted to see these projects making it through to the final stage. The Scottish Funding Council will continue to work hard to support them and I look forward to further good news towards the end of the year.”
The Strength in Places Fund is a UKRI programme in partnership with the Scottish Funding Council, the Office for Students and the higher education funding bodies of Wales and Northern Ireland.
A new SFC-funded £1.6 million centre for animal disease surveillance and research means faster, more reliable and more efficient diagnoses of livestock animal diseases for the whole of Scotland.
Based near Edinburgh, the new Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) Veterinary and Analytical Laboratory expects to analyse more than a million samples a year.
Diagnosing disease faster has the potential to improve response times to potential outbreaks to safeguard both animal and human health and protect the food chain
Opened today by Mairi Gougeon MSP, Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment, the SRUC Veterinary and Analytical Laboratory brings together new technology, robotics and human expertise to create a centre for excellence in animal disease surveillance and testing.
The Scottish Government supported the creation of the new laboratory through a low-cost loan from SFC’s Financial Transactions Programme.
Ms Gougeon said:
“The new SRUC central laboratory will enhance veterinary surveillance in Scotland and will create a centre of excellence at the Moredun Institute, further strengthening Scotland’s capacity and expertise in animal health. The laboratory will help to protect and develop our valuable livestock sector and the contribution it makes to the rural economy, I look forward to seeing how this work progresses in the future.”
Martin Fairbairn, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said:
“The new centre and the partnership between SRUC and the Moredun Research Institute is very good news for the rural sector in Scotland. The Scottish Funding Council’s £1.6 million support for the new laboratory underlines our commitment to cutting edge research and innovation as an essential part of Scotland’s future prosperity.”
Wayne Powell, Principal and Chief Executive of SRUC, said
“Animal health is a cornerstone of a thriving rural economy and the new SRUC Veterinary and Analytical Laboratory offers a step-change in disease surveillance for the whole of the country. Working with the excellent team at the Moredun Institute, this centre of excellence offers us new opportunities for research and collaboration. Partnerships like ours are the future of rural technology research for Scotland.”
Diagnosing disease faster has the potential to improve response times to potential outbreaks to safeguard both animal and human health and protect the food chain.
The SRUC Veterinary and Analytical Laboratory is based at the Moredun Research Institute at the Pentlands Science Park in Midlothian. The laboratory brings together SRUC’s diagnostic and analytical teams from around the Midlothian area – as well as Perthshire and the Borders – into a single centre for the first time.
SFC played host to top UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) officials last week for discussions around Scotland’s research and innovation strengths.
UKRI’s Chief Executive Professor Sir Mark Walport met with SFC Chief Executive Karen Watt and Director of Research and Innovation Dr Stuart Fancey to discuss Scotland’s strengths and the active partnership between SFC and UKRI.
During his visit Sir Mark also met with two Edinburgh-based life sciences companies, Synpromics Ltd and RoslinCT.
On the same day, SFC hosted a seminar chaired by UKRI Chair Sir John Kingman on the UK Government’s target of increasing R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027, attended by a range of representatives from Scotland’s research, business and innovation sectors.
Sir John and Sir Mark were invited to dinner at Bute House, hosted by the Deputy First Minister John Swinney for discussion with Ministers on working together to achieve the goals of both Scottish and UK Governments.
Speaking after his visit, Sir Mark said:
“UKRI has a close working partnership with SFC and it was great to meet Karen Watt and Stuart Fancey to reflect on that relationship, and Scotland’s world-class research base, which makes a particularly significant contribution to the UK’s research excellence.”
“The research done in Scotland is of the highest quality. It was a pleasure to meet two exciting Scottish bioscience companies, RoslinCT and Synpromics Ltd, who are turning gene and cell therapy research into economic and medical reality.”
“Sir John and I were also delighted to be able to discuss our shared agendas for research, innovation and international reach with Deputy First Minister John Swinney and his ministerial colleagues. This was informed by a broader discussion on the UK’s R&D investment goals and Scotland’s research, business and innovation communities.”
Karen Watt, SFC chief executive said:
“It was fantastic to meet with Sir Mark and Sir John, and we had a very productive discussion on Scotland’s strengths in research and its commercialisation, as well as our role in achieving the 2.4% target.
“Scotland’s research productivity exceeds the UK average. However, business R&D investment has traditionally been concentrated in the south. To meet the UK target and ensure that the benefits of research are felt by all, it will be crucial that we help to attract R&D investment, both public and private, to all parts of Scotland.”
“This is an ambitious target that will require concerted efforts from all parties. However, with our world-class universities and innovation focus, Scotland is well-positioned to take advantage of the benefits the increased investment by UKRI will bring for our economy.”
The balance between care and study
Blog – Going Higher and Further for Student Carers
Blog – Who Cares? Scotland and Care Day 2019
An award designed to improve the experience of student carers studying at college has been launched at City of Glasgow College.
Administered by the Carers Trust Scotland (CTS), the award incentives and encourages colleges to adopt a sustainable, whole institution approach to identifying, supporting and reporting on student carers.
SFC awarded £121,126 in funding to CTS in 2018, towards its work to help universities and colleges better support student carers with ‘The Going Higher and Further for Student Carers’ programme.
Senior Policy/Analysis Officer Anna Wallace, who represented SFC at the launch said it was an excellent event with speakers from City of Glasgow College, Carers Trust Scotland, SFC, GCU, CDN, Borders College as well as a Student Carer.
“It was great to see what work is already underway to support student carers, but also how much more can be done by working towards the Going Further Award, which is free to participate in thanks to our funding.
“SFC is delighted to help launch Going Further as a framework for colleges to provide the best support required for their student carers, and we look forward to seeing all colleges sign up to it, to help students with caring responsibilities achieve their full potential, in spite of any additional challenges they may experience.”
For more information, see: https://carers.org/going-further-scotland.
SFC data for 2016-17 shows that:
- 10,655 student carer enrolments took place across the 27 colleges in Scotland.
- 68% of student carers are aged 25+.
- 70% of student carers are female.
- 4% of student carers are care experienced.
- 17% declared that they have a disability.
- 22% of student carers declare having a mental health difficulty.
In a challenging public sector funding environment, the SFC is pleased to be retaining teaching and research grants across the university sector at the same level as last year, while increasing funding for the college sector to meet the costs of national bargaining for lecturers and support staff. This year’s funding announcement also sees the SFC increasing funding for student support, enabling us to implement the recommendations of the Scottish Government’s Review of Student Support.
Commenting on the announcements, Chief Executive Karen Watt said:
“Against a backdrop of increasing funding pressures, the Scottish Funding Council is continuing to invest in learning and teaching and research excellence. We are also committed to ensuring that our students have the right support to allow them to fulfil their potential at the institutions we fund.”
The SFC publishes indicative funding allocations for the college and university sectors to enable them to begin their planning for the forthcoming academic year. Final allocations will be announced in May.
The Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, Richard Lochhead, has today announced a further £10.98m of investment in the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC).
The investment from the Scottish Funding Council, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise will allow CSIC to build on the foundations of a highly successful first five years and support its Phase 2 mission to mainstream innovation in construction, leading to improved productivity and growth within the sector.
Speaking at an event to promote innovation in the sector, Richard Lochhead said:
“The construction industry is a core sector of the Scottish economy, providing infrastructure to businesses across all sectors of the economy.
Our vision is for a Scotland where innovation is an intrinsic part of our culture, our society and our economy. This relies on a pipeline of knowledge and skills from universities, colleges and research institutes. Fostering connections between the worlds of industry and academia is vital in making that vision a reality for the construction sector as in others.
“This £10.98 million funding from the Scottish Government, via the Scottish Funding Council and the Enterprise Agencies, will allow the CSIC to continue its excellent work and important activities in the innovative construction landscape, to the benefit of the whole of Scotland and beyond.”
The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has today announced to colleges across Scotland that it has been able to meet, in full, all colleges’ requests for additional student support funding for 2018-19.
The In-Year Redistribution of Student Support Funds is an annual exercise carried out by SFC to ensure that student support funds (bursaries, childcare, Care Experienced bursaries and discretionary funds for students up to and including NC level) are targeted to those students who need them.
This year also sees SFC delivering for the first time the Scottish Government’s commitment to pay a higher bursary to Care Experienced students on Further Education courses.
Commenting on the announcement, SFC Chief Executive Karen Watt said:
“Ensuring that our students have the right support to allow them to undertake their studies is a priority for the Scottish Funding Council. We are delighted that we have been able to meet, in full, all requests for additional student support funding for the 2018-19 academic year.”
Care Day is a national opportunity to celebrate the lives and voices of care experienced people. The first Care Day took place in 2015 to commemorate the anniversary of the Scottish Parliament passing the Children and Young People Bill. Care Day is now a regular event and takes place on the third Friday in February.
This year SFC is marking the occasion with a fundraising coffee morning. Proceeds will go towards the Who Cares? Scotland annual Summer Camp and to supporting Who Cares? Scotland’s participation in this year’s Kiltwalk.
SFC’s Vonnie Sandlan also wrote a blog ahead of Care Day about why it’s important care experienced people are supported effectively at college and university.
SFC works closely with the college and university sectors, agencies, and organisations such as Who Cares? Scotland and CELCIS, and with these partners has set a National Ambition that there is no difference in the outcomes of care experienced learners compared to their peers by 2021-22.
For more information on Care Day and how you can support it, visit Who Cares? Scotland’s Care Day 2019 campaign page.
The Scottish Funding Council (SFC), Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise have each committed £50,000 to support the UK’s largest research, industry and government partnership in carbon capture, use and storage.
Established with SFC funding in 2005, Scottish Carbon Capture & Storage (SCCS) is a research and knowledge exchange partnership between Heriot-Watt University, the University of Aberdeen, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Strathclyde, and the British Geological Survey. SCCS also works to develop research and teaching, with engagement at St Andrews, Glasgow, Robert Gordon and other universities across Scotland.
Carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) is a group of technologies that capture carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at source to prevent them being vented to the atmosphere and escalating climate change. CCUS can decarbonise the power, industry, heat and transport sectors, which account for 83% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. SCCS brings together world-leading CCUS expertise and facilities, and builds partnerships with industry and government to support the development of CCUS in the UK and internationally.
SCCS assisted in bringing Scottish experts to the EU funded ACT Acorn Project. Led by energy consultants Pale Blue DotEnergy, the Acorn project is working to develop the UK’s first operational carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at the St Fergus Gas Terminal in Aberdeenshire. The project has received funding from the Scottish Government, UK Government, and the European Union.
The project will see existing terminal infrastructure re-purposed to capture around 200,000 tonnes of CO2 per year initially, which will then be transported for storage in depleted North Sea gas fields, using re-conditioned existing pipelines.
Scientists from Heriot-Watt University, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Aberdeen worked with other experts in the UK, the Netherlands and Norway to model CO2 storage characteristics, while Robert Gordon University researched public perception around the project and the role of CCUS. SCCS has also advocated for the role of CCUS as a recognised technology in the decarbonisation of Scotland’s energy system within the Scottish Government’s work to establish a Just Transition Commission.
Professor Stuart Haszeldine, SCCS Director, said:
“We are thrilled to receive this funding, enabling us to continue our crucial work. Our goal is to realise the potential of carbon capture and storage in decarbonising the UK’s high-emitting sectors rapidly, at least cost, and enabling a just transition for skilled professionals and workers in the oil and gas sector as Scotland moves towards a zero carbon economy.”
Dr Stuart Fancey, SFC Director of Research and Innovation, said:
“Scotland is home to the knowledge that the world needs to make carbon capture and storage an everyday reality, reducing carbon emissions and mitigating climate change. SCCS brings expertise from our universities and their partners to bear on the challenges of this new technology, a technology that can work with existing oil and gas infrastructure and offer new economic opportunities for Scotland. SFC is very pleased to join Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Government in funding the continued world-leading research into carbon capture and storage by the SCCS partnership.”
Paul Wheelhouse, Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, said
“The Scottish Government has been consistent in our strong commitment to the development and implementation of CCUS technologies, as indicated by our providing funding to Pale Blue Dot Energy’s Acorn CCS Project at St Fergus, and to Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the International Energy Agency have both indicated that developing CCS technology will be critical to keeping global temperature increases to 2 degrees Celsius or less. I therefore welcome the opportunity to continue this commitment via the joint funding announced today. We will continue to promote Scottish CCS and CCUS opportunities and capitalise on future funding to ensure Scotland remains at the forefront of the technology’s development.
“We believe Scotland is in a unique position to undertake this technology on an industrial scale and that the opportunity to repurpose key existing pipeline infrastructure assets already in place provides the most cost-effective pathway to the deployment of CCUS. Our waters in the North Sea also provides access to vast carbon storage resources in depleted oil and gas reservoirs and we believe that coupled with our existing oil and gas capabilities, ready supply chain, and strategically important industrial clusters, Scotland is potentially the best-placed country in Europe to realise CCUS on a commercial scale.”
Andy McDonald, Director for Energy and Low Carbon Technologies at Scottish Enterprise, said:
“We’re pleased to support this initiative, which will bring the brightest minds from academia together with industry to help reduce carbon emissions and their effects on climate change. Low-carbon businesses are the future of our economy and there are many opportunities for companies looking to develop innovative technologies to aid this transition.”
CCUS is one of six priorities in the Scottish Government’s Energy Strategy and is also a key policy of the UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy’s Clean Growth Strategy. The Clean Growth Strategy states that it is a reaffirmation of the UK Government’s commitment to deploying CCUS at scale in the UK in the 2030s, subject to cost reduction.
The UK CCS Storage Appraisal has found the UK’s offshore geological storage potential at over 78 gigatonnes of CO2 (the equivalent of over 200 years of the UK’s 2017 CO2 emissions). One tonne of CO2 gas fills roughly the same space as a small house.
Globally, power and industry account for about 50% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While Scotland’s electricity system is expected to be largely decarbonised by the 2030s, the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan recognises CCS “as the only viable technology capable of mitigating industrial scale CO2 emissions in some of the world’s most carbon intensive industrial processes”.
Recently the Scottish Government published the first Annual Report on its five year STEM strategy for education and training in Scotland.
The Scottish Funding Council is proud to support Scotland’s colleges in playing a central role in the delivery of this strategy, and the STEM hub network of colleges, universities and employers working with primary and secondary schools on more joint learning opportunities – an initiative targeting all four of the strategy’s key challenges for STEM education and training in Scotland.
The following case studies highlight examples of this work, specifically around the work of the Energy Skills Partnership (ESP), a collaboration of Scotland’s regional colleges. ESP’s aim is to increase the capacity and capability to identify that the right skills are being delivered at the right time to meet industry’s demand. Through this consortium approach, ESP aims to prevent duplication of effort and investment for the energy, engineering and construction sectors.
Dumfries & Galloway First in Scotland with FIRST Lego League Junior
More than 50 primary pupils from across Dumfries & Galloway completed the IET’s First Lego League Jr challenge and attended an Expo at Dumfries & Galloway College.
This is the first time the challenge has taken place in Scotland. The children, were tasked with creating models based on a real life problem.
Each of the schools brought their finished work to Dumfries & Galloway College to showcase their models before enjoying a tour of the college’s engineering department.
The event was organised by ESP and the Raising Aspirations in Science Education (RAiSE) programme, alongside the Dumfries and Galloway College and participating schools.
FIRST Lego League Junior is a non-competitive challenge designed to introduce STEM concepts to children ages 6 to 10 while exciting them through a brand they know and love − LEGO. Teams of up to 6 members explore a real-world scientific problem such as food safety, recycling and energy. They create a Show Me poster that introduces their team and describes their learning journey. They construct a motorized model of what they learned using LEGO elements and LEGO WeDo 2.0 kits. In the process, teams not only learn about science and technology, but also build their teamwork and communication skills. The challenge places a strong emphasis on the FIRST Core Values, which include respect, sharing, and critical thinking.
RAiSE Teacher in Dumfries & Galloway Carol Moyes said:
“Inspiring young people to enjoy STEM education is vitally important in engaging a lifelong affinity for the subjects. The Lego challenge may seem like fun play but the lessons run far deeper in terms of project management, developing an eye for detail and critical enquiry.”
Alice Cochrane, Head Teacher at Caerlaverock Primary, added:
“This was a fantastic project – we all learned a lot and enjoyed the process.”
Rachel Tulloch, Project Support Manager Engineering at ESP, said:
“ESP works on behalf of Scotland’s colleges to promote energy, engineering and construction sectors and promoting working with member colleges and key partners across Scotland to promote the STEM agenda. One of our aims is to work with partners to promote these STEM sectors as careers of choice and develop seamless pathways through schools to college to university. At ESP we feel First Lego League and First Lego League Jr provide an excellent opportunity for children to develop the skills needed for these jobs of the future and to develop a flexible, project-based approach to learning.”
Big Bang Scotland Fair 2018
Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) was the focus of the Big Bang Scotland Fair held at Perth College UHI on 12 June 2018.
Hosted as an opportunity to inspire pupils from schools across Scotland to consider a career in STEM related roles, the Big Bang Fair brings STEM subjects to life with engaging interactive activities related to current jobs such as virtual welding, thermal imaging cameras and virtual reality working at heights training.
Attended by over 1300 school pupils from schools across Scotland it provided the opportunity for those attending to participate in interactive activities, meet Careers Champions, attend inspirational talks and to be inspired through having fun.
Run in partnership with EngineeringUK’s Tomorrow’s Engineers initiative, the Big Band Fair also brought together over 60 exhibitors from industry and colleges along with 13 inspirational speakers from industry partners.
Additionally, the event hosted Tomorrow’s Engineers Lego Robotics Challenge Scottish final and the Bloodhound Scotland Rocket Car Challenge final.
Jim Brown, Director of ESP, said:
“The Big Bang Scotland Fair builds on the regional events and truly inspires school pupils to consider STEM choices at school and STEM careers. Linking schools with industry is key to securing the future workforce and this is just one of our suite of interventions that support Scottish Government’s STEM Strategy.”
Margaret Cook Perth College UHI, Principal said:
“I was delighted to welcome the Big Bang Scotland to Perth College UHI. This is an extremely important agenda and it is great to see so many school pupils engaged in such a range of innovative activities which will inspire them to consider STEM choices going forward.”
Figures released today by UK university admissions service, UCAS, show early indications of a further reduction in the gap between students from the most and least deprived areas of Scotland.
Applications from 18 year olds living in Scotland’s most deprived communities are up by 0.8% while applications from school leavers in the most affluent communities remain stable. This follows figures in the recent UCAS end-of-cycle reports for 2018-19 that showed acceptances of a place at university from students living in deprived parts of Scotland had increased steadily over a three year period.
Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said: “Today’s figures on university applications for next year show that the gap between the most and the least deprived areas of Scotland continues to narrow. We already know that actual acceptances for the current academic year confirm the same trend.
“Although there is more to be done, this is a positive sign that, working with universities, we are changing things for the better.”
“The Scottish Funding Council agrees annual outcomes with each university to accelerate progress towards fair and equal access to university.”
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Photo Credit: University of the West of Scotland
China feels the heat of Scottish technology
Creating an international voice for Scotland
As Edinburgh hosts its inaugural Chinese New Year festival this February, with a series of free and paid events and activities, it’s also worth noting Scotland’s strong research links with China.
The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) has led efforts to establish science partnerships between Scottish and Chinese science academies for a number of years, and there are many examples of Scottish universities’ research being commercialised in China, including Sunamp Ltd.
More recently, the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) has supported over 20 research partnerships in China involving 10 Scottish universities. The GCRF is a £1.5 billion UK fund, administered in Scotland by SFC, to support cutting-edge research that addresses the challenges faced by developing countries.
One of the research projects awarded funding in 2017-18 was the development of a prototype for diagnosing and managing respiratory disease (conditions such as asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)), which are at epidemic proportions in China due to poor air quality in major population centres.
Working with partners in China, Professor Des Gibson from the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) used the funding to develop a prototype low-cost capnometer (a monitoring device that measures and numerically displays the concentration of carbon dioxide in exhaled air), demonstrating required performance and testing as a precursor to clinical trialling.
A person’s respiration rate (the number of breaths taken per minute) and the amount of carbon dioxide in the air they exhale are known to be key ‘bio-markers’ in the evaluation of patients’ healthcare trends.
The project has resulted in a signed memorandum of understanding and the teams in Scotland and China are now seeking future funding to develop low cost portable point of care medical devices to help with the diagnosis and management of chronic respiratory conditions.
More broadly, China is also a focus area for the Connected Scotland partnership, and the Saltire Scholarships, a programme offered by the Scottish Government in collaboration with Scottish universities in the areas of science, technology, creative industries, healthcare and medical sciences, and renewable and clean energy. China is also considered a ‘priority country’ for the Scottish Government’s International Relations and International Trade strategies.
Student carers are part of every college and university in Scotland. However, unlike their peers, they have additional challenges due to their caring responsibilities, which can complicate or derail the successful completion of their studies. It’s estimated there are 788,000 people in Scotland voluntarily caring for a relative, friend or neighbour. This figure includes 44,000 people under the age of 18.
Many live on low incomes and 42% juggle study, work, and caring. Carers Trust Scotland (CTS) research reveals 50% of the days young adult carers spend at college or university are affected by their caring role, including arriving late, leaving early, or missing an entire day of study or classes. Students with unpaid caring responsibilities are four times more likely to drop out of college or university than their peers who are not carers.
To help address this issue, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) allocated £121,126 in funding to CTS in 2018, towards its work to help universities and colleges better support student carers with ‘The Going Higher and Further for Student Carers’ programme.
This CTS-led initiative has been designed to help all Scottish universities and colleges to identify, evaluate, and improve their support to young and student carers and to ultimately participate in a Scotland-wide quality recognition award scheme.
The programme has already proven popular with Aberdeen, Glasgow Caledonian, University of Highlands and Islands Inverness campus, and Strathclyde universities already receiving a ‘Going Higher for Student Carers: Recognition Award’, and Abertay, Queen Margaret and St Andrews working towards submitting evidence to CTS of changes they’ve made.
For young adult carers such as Keith Burns, who is studying at Strathclyde University, having dedicated support is “vital”.
“It makes us feel more welcome in our institutions as we feel that staff understand us, which means that we can then focus on realising our fullest potential as students.”
Louise Morgan, CTS Director for Scotland and Northern Ireland said: “We’re delighted the programme has secured SFC funding as we expand to work with all Scottish colleges and universities. The programme and training resources will allow colleges and universities to have a better understanding of carers and the barriers they may face whilst studying, and make real change to improve the lives of current and future student carers in Scotland.”
“Raising awareness of carers and all that they do is a good step forward towards helping carers to receive the support they need to have a life outside of caring.”
SFC Chief Executive Karen Watt said: “It is fantastic to see so many institutions already stepping up to improve the experience of student carers on their campuses. We’re very proud to be funding this work to help widen access to further and higher education, in support of the Carers (Scotland) Act, and the Scottish Government’s priority to improve the health and wellbeing of carers in Scotland.”
Today is Young Carers Awareness Day 2019 – CTS’ annual initiative to raise awareness of young people who look after family members with illness, disabilities or substance misuse issues. Find out how you can support young carers.
Read more: Jade Lochhead describes what it’s like to be a student carer and how it affected her studies.
Interface has released the shortlist for the fourth Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards, highlighting the best examples of businesses and universities or research institutions working together to bring significant benefits to the economy, society and higher education.
Award categories include Innovation of the Year, Rising Star of the Year, and Multiparty collaboration for groups and consortia involving three or more parties working together on an innovative research project and include a research partner from Scottish academia and at least one business.
The four judging panels were made up of representatives from; Scottish Funding Council, Entrepreneurial Scotland, College Development Network, Zero Waste Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Government, Knowledge Transfer Network and the Interface Strategic Board.
SFC Senior Policy and Analysis Officer Gary Bannon who sat on one of judging panels said:
“This year’s shortlist, which represents eight Scottish universities and more than 50 businesses, really highlights the scale of innovative thinking and entrepreneurship across Scotland’s business and research sectors. It’s great to see such a wide variety of effective partnerships making a difference across Scotland, as well as those with a global impact.”
Dr Siobhán Jordan, Director of Interface, said:
“Business and academic partnerships can spark truly cutting-edge collaborative projects leading to significant innovation which can have a major impact on the economy and society. We are delighted to host these annual awards, which go from strength to strength, and allow us to showcase the most exciting and game changing research and development which is happening in Scotland today.”
Funded by the SFC, Scottish Enterprise, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Interface offers a free and impartial brokerage service, which helps companies and organisations solve their business challenges by connecting them with world-leading Scottish research expertise.
The winners will be announced at the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards on Thursday 21 February.
See the full shortlist online.
Scotland’s colleges have exceeded the Scottish Government’s target of 116,269 Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) by 2,415 FTEs in 2017-18 according to a new report published by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) today. The College Statistics 2017-18 also show an increase in the number of enrolments and in headcount which have increased by 3.9% and 2.9% respectively compared with the previous year.
These increases come against a backdrop of declining numbers of young people in the Scottish population as a whole. Between 2008-09 and 2017-18 the number of 18-19 year olds fell by approximately 8,000, yet the proportion of this age group choosing to study at college increased from 16.8% to 21.9% in the same period.
Colleges have also seen a rise in numbers across the older age groups, with increases of 10.2% and 7.0% in both the 31-40 year old and the 41-50 year old age groups respectively compared with the previous year. These results, which come following the introduction of the Flexible Workforce Development Fund, suggest a move to in-work learning and re-skilling or up-skilling as employers seek to address skills gaps.
Published alongside the College Statistics, SFC’s College Performance Indicators 2017-18 also indicate that inroads are being made in successful completion rates. Although there has been a slight drop (-0.3%) in success rates for those undertaking Higher Education courses in 2017-18 compared with last year, the success rate for those in Further Education has increased by 0.8%. Furthermore over the last 10 years there has been a 7.3% increase in successful completion for students enrolled on Further Education courses and a 7.4% increase for those enrolled on Higher Education courses.
Reflecting increasing trends over the past three years, the report also notes slight increases in successful completion rates for students from the 20% most deprived areas in Scotland (+0.4%) and for students with declared disabilities (+0.5%).
Commenting on the reports, SFC Chief Executive Karen Watt said:
“The results from the College Statistics and the College Performance Indicator Reports are hugely positive. They underline the strength of the college sector which is increasingly attractive to our young people while also offering excellent opportunities for those already in work to retrain or up-skill.
“It is good to see increases in successful completion rates across the sector, while recognising the need to better understand why some students leave courses early. It is also encouraging that success rates have increased for students from the 20% most deprived areas and students with declared disabilities. We look forward to working with the sector to identify how we can sustain and build on the improvements made in recent years.”
John Swinney welcomes Crichton agreement
Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC)
The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has welcomed the announcement by Public Finances Minister Kate Forbes of a £156,000 investment to address gaps in the accessibility and availability of rural (forestry, agriculture and horticulture) training across the south of Scotland.
Led by SFC and delivered by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), this funding will provide for two mobile learning centres, fitted out with equipment which individual schools, colleges or other businesses would not otherwise be able to access for rural skills courses. These mobile centres will be available to schools across the region to help in the delivery of Rural Skills National 4 and 5 level courses. The colleges will provide suitably qualified staff to deliver the courses as part of an agreed delivery programme.
Complementing this practical hands-on learning, funding will also be used to investigate the development of online rural training packages, building on best practice from elsewhere in the UK and overseas. This element of the programme also has the potential to align with the Hub and Spoke project announced last year, with delivery of courses through the recently commissioned South of Scotland Skills and Learning Network at Borders College (Hawick), Dumfries & Galloway College (Stranraer), the “Bridge” (Dumfries), Eyemouth High School and other schools linked to the network.
Commenting on the funding announcement, Michael Cross, Interim Director of Skills, Access and Outcome Agreements at SFC, said:
“Through active participation in the South of Scotland Economic Partnership, SFC is delighted to be playing a vital role in developing opportunities for young people in the south of Scotland, enabling them to stay in the area, while at the same time addressing urgent skills gaps which will help the local economy to flourish.
“We look forward to working with our partners at SRUC and beyond to ensure the successful delivery of this new programme which will see the provision of both practical skills delivery and online learning, complementing the investment we have already made across the south of Scotland to deliver digital learning through the further and higher education institutions and in partnership with local schools.”
A new report published today by the Scottish Science Advisory Council (SSAC) has found that Scotland’s science and research base is punching above its weight, particularly in relation to the quality of its research and its international collaborations.
Confirming Scotland’s long-held reputation for research excellence, the report, which compares the performance of Scotland’s science and research base with the other UK nations and selected EU and non-EU countries, identifies the following key highlights:
- Scotland produces more academic publications per researcher.
- Scotland’s research is cited more often than research from competitor nations.
- Investment in Business Enterprise Research and Development has doubled over the past decade.
- Scotland has an increasing and consistently higher share of publications with international partners and with higher impact than the UK average.
However, while the report highlights that there is good reason to be positive, it does also offer a cautionary note. It notes that emerging research-intensive nations such as Singapore, India and Brazil are growing their capability and capacity.
Commenting on the publication, Stuart Fancey, Director of Research and Innovation at the Scottish Funding Council, said:
“This report confirms our long-held understanding that Scotland’s researchers are among the best in the world, working collaboratively with global partners to produce world-leading research to help address the issues not only of today but also those of tomorrow. We cannot be complacent in the face of increasing competition, but that competition does bring the possibility of developing new partnerships, building on our already strong reputation for global collaboration.
“The Scottish Funding Council looks forward to continuing its support of Scotland’s research and science base, providing funding to our universities, colleges and innovation centres, to ensure that Scotland maintains its strong position as a world-leading research nation.”
Background
The report was commissioned by the SSAC and funded by the SSAC, the Scottish Funding Council, Universities Scotland, and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. These partners were joined on the project steering group by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise.
Elsevier were commissioned to undertake a metrics-based assessment of Scotland’s science landscape 2007-2016. The full report is available on the SSAC website.
The report compares the Scottish research base to that of England, Wales, Northern Ireland (and the whole of the UK, including Scotland), selected EU countries of similar size and research base (Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden) and selected non-EU countries of similar size and research base (Israel, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland).
New figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency’s (HESA) show that in 2017/18 the proportion of students from the most deprived areas entering Scottish universities was the highest it’s ever been.
HESA’s Higher Education Student Statistics 2017/18 publication shows 15.6% entrants were from the 20% most deprived postcode areas (SIMD20). The result is just 0.4 percentage points off the 2021 target set following the 2016 Commission on Widening Access.
Figures also show the number of Scottish domiciled students attending Scottish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) increased by 2.1% in 2017/18, and the number of entrants increased by 3.2%.
Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science Richard Lochhead said: “These statistics highlight the good progress being made on widening access to higher education. I’m pleased to see more Scots going to university here and a record increase in entrants from our most deprived areas.
“Combined with recent UCAS statistics, this shows demonstrable progress towards giving every young person in Scotland an equal chance of success, no matter their background or circumstance.
“It is also great to see a record number of enrolments and an increased number of qualifications achieved in 2017/18. All of this speaks to the level of excellence found across our higher education institutions.”
SFC Chief Executive Karen Watt said: “This is a great result for our young people, our future economic prosperity and the sort of society we want to build; and it’s a great result for our universities who are working with us to widen access to higher education in Scotland.
“While there is still more to do, good progress is being made to ensure children growing up in our most deprived communities have the same opportunity to go to university as anybody else.”
A new national research centre focused on what happens to oil and gas infrastructure when it’s no longer needed has been unveiled by the University of Aberdeen today.
SFC supported the development of the National Decommissioning Centre (NDC), which is the result of £38m partnership between the Oil & Gas Technology Centre and the University of Aberdeen, as part of the Aberdeen City Region Deal
Combining industry expertise with academic excellence, the NDC aims to work in partnership with companies to become the global leader in R&D focused on reducing costs, extending field and asset life, and transforming the traditional approach to decommissioning.
100 offshore platforms and 7,500km of pipeline are forecast to be decommissioned or reused over the next decade on the UK Continental Shelf. With costs estimated to reach £60bn by 2050, the NDC will help deliver the £21bn savings target set by industry regulator, The Oil & Gas Authority.
By linking industry demand and expertise with academic capability and skills in the field, the NDC aims to help create competitive advantage, not only for the oil and gas industry, but for decommissioning challenges in the wider energy sector such as offshore renewables.
Home to the most powerful industrial laser at any UK academic institution, the NDC features a hyperbaric testing vessel which can simulate ocean conditions 6,500m, an indoor freshwater immersion tank, environmental chambers for temperature testing from -40C to +180C and hangar space for the design and construction of decommissioning technology.
SFC contributed £50,000 to the project, which enabled the conclusion of the NDC’s full business plan and an additional capital investment of £1.9m from the Scottish Government’s Decommissioning Challenge Fund, as well as supporting the first cohort of the University of Aberdeen’s new MSc in Decommissioning.
The three month projects undertaken by the MSc students enabled work place learning with key stakeholders involved in the decommissioning and late life industry, including the regulators, industry partners and industry bodies. Their projects covered a range of disciplines from engineering, environmental science, to economics and law all relating to decommissioning challenges.
Dr Stuart Fancey, Director of Research and Innovation for the Scottish Funding Council said:
“SFC is very pleased to have supported the development of the NDC and to have contributed to funding the first cohort of MSc Students in Decommissioning, giving Scottish oil and gas businesses timely access to the skilled workforce they need for the decommissioning opportunity ahead.
This cutting edge facility is a fantastic asset for Scotland and provides industry with an open door to our world-leading research and development, boosting our economy through the maintenance and decommissioning of existing oil and gas infrastructure.”