By Shona Struthers, Chief executive, Colleges Scotland

WHEN it comes to improving the life chances of young people in Scotland, our publicly funded colleges – sited in our local communities – are rightly recognised as vital in this work. Twenty-six colleges stretching from Shetland to Dumfries provide a wide range of opportunities for more than 227,000 learners annually helping to develop their own confidence, self-esteem and sense of purpose whilst learning new skills, honing interests and earning valued, industry-recognised qualifications. Our courses are delivered and supported by around 11,000 dedicated staff members who work tirelessly not only on the education of our learners, but also on their pastoral care.

Naomi Eisenstadt’s report, published last week, highlighted the potential for the college sector to reduce socio-economic inequality. Scotland’s colleges would reply that this has been their core mission for generations. In every measure of inequality, it is the college sector which champions societal progress. From tackling gendered segregation, to widening access, to supporting community cohesion, our colleges are making a positive difference to people’s lives.

To provide a mere snapshot: the Community Achievement Awards scheme run by Glasgow Kelvin College in partnership with more than 40 community organisations has 250 volunteers who are supported to work in some of Glasgow’s most vulnerable communities, and who then gain recognised qualifications. Many of these volunteers had no previous qualifications, but upon completing their award are empowered to continue with their journey into further education, or employment.

Ms Eisenstadt’s report interchanges further education and higher education, college and university, but today’s college sector delivers 28 per cent of all higher provision in Scotland, with 19 per cent of all college students studying at a level equivalent to 1st and 2nd year at university. As a sector average, 13.5 per cent of college higher education students came from the 10 per cent most deprived communities in 2014/15, and 47.4 per cent from the 40 per cent most deprived communities. These statistics clearly demonstrate the crucial role that Scottish colleges have consistently played in realising the Scottish Government’s ambitions on widening access to higher education for all.

Colleges are the linchpin upon which the Government’s ambitions will be realised. Their roots extend into schools. And working in partnership, they deliver skills and education to young people, and in local areas reach mature learners who may have been generationally distanced from the labour market. They also work in partnership with the public and private sector to develop and deliver vocational and academic courses which meet the labour market needs whilst giving our students the skills, confidence and opportunities to improve their own life chances by accessing employment which works for them. All of this also provides learners with a solid grounding to progress into university should that be the path which is right for them. We are proud to be recognised as the sector which will reduce inequality.

We welcome Ms Eisenstadt’s observation on exploring what more the college sector can do to tackle socio-economic inequality, and we remain committed to working in partnership with the Scottish Government to ensure that we have a sustainable college sector not only to deliver world-class learning and skills, but to play a part in ending intergenerational cycles of poverty and inequality.