West Lothian College
Encyclopedia
West Lothian College is a further education
institution in West Lothian
, Scotland
. It has been located in Livingston since July 2001, with its previous campus located in Bathgate
from 1965 until 1999. The new campus was located just adjacent to Livingston's former MacArthur Glen centre, now simple known as 'the center,' at a cost of approximately £10 million.
The college had announced ambitious plans to raise its 2006 enrollment level of 6000 students to nearly 10,000 students by 2010/11, but this was interrupted by council funding cuts, and so places have been scaled back to approximately 8,000 in the 2011/2012 year, a decrease of almost 1,000 places from the 2010/2011 year. It was previously announced in old plans that the number of placements had to be "wracked up" to meet the new demand for courses, in response to the economic downturn, affecting otherwise employed people in the area; however, now monetary obligations, with the West Lothian Council's budget being decreased by 12% in the 2011/12 financial year alone, have taken clear priority. The Principal of the college is Mhairi Laughlin.
West Lothian College is an incorporated College of Further Education, offering vocational and non-vocational courses to school leavers from S4 - S6, adults, and through an external partnership, S1 - S3 secondary students as well. It is situated in the Central Belt
of Scotland, approximately midway between Edinburgh and Glasgow. The College delivers SQA
accredited qualifications from Access 2, Access 3 and Intermediate 1 for Adult returners and special needs learners, to NQ Intermediate 2, Higher and HNC/D Level, in Computing, Engineering, Care, Art and Design, Business Management, and the Social Sciences, amongst others. Plans are being rolled out, in partnership with Napier University and University of Edinburgh, to confer BAs through part-time courses to students wishing to further their education also, the first being awarded in the subject of Business Administration.
In recognition of the many social barriers that restrict individuals from accessing education and training, West Lothian College has developed a number of initiatives that promote wider access to vocational training.
The College works in partnership with a number of statutory and voluntary organisations. In relation to young, unemployed people, they are currently engaged with West Lothian Council, Employment Services, Scottish Enterprise and West Lothian Youth Forum, in developing training and education programmes for socially excluded young people. Programmes include New Deal, a national training programme run by Jobcentre Plus
, Modern Apprenticeships and Get Ready For Work for Skills Development Scotland, Step Up (full time training for school leavers with no qualifications) with West Lothian Council, and the promotion of community learning centres, also with West Lothian Council.
Further education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
institution in West Lothian
West Lothian
West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It has been located in Livingston since July 2001, with its previous campus located in Bathgate
Bathgate
Bathgate is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, on the M8 motorway west of Livingston. Nearby towns are Blackburn, Armadale, Whitburn, Livingston, and Linlithgow. Edinburgh Airport is away...
from 1965 until 1999. The new campus was located just adjacent to Livingston's former MacArthur Glen centre, now simple known as 'the center,' at a cost of approximately £10 million.
The college had announced ambitious plans to raise its 2006 enrollment level of 6000 students to nearly 10,000 students by 2010/11, but this was interrupted by council funding cuts, and so places have been scaled back to approximately 8,000 in the 2011/2012 year, a decrease of almost 1,000 places from the 2010/2011 year. It was previously announced in old plans that the number of placements had to be "wracked up" to meet the new demand for courses, in response to the economic downturn, affecting otherwise employed people in the area; however, now monetary obligations, with the West Lothian Council's budget being decreased by 12% in the 2011/12 financial year alone, have taken clear priority. The Principal of the college is Mhairi Laughlin.
West Lothian College is an incorporated College of Further Education, offering vocational and non-vocational courses to school leavers from S4 - S6, adults, and through an external partnership, S1 - S3 secondary students as well. It is situated in the Central Belt
Central Belt
The Central Belt of Scotland is a common term used to describe the area of highest population density within Scotland. Despite the name, it is not geographically central but is nevertheless situated at the 'waist' of Scotland on a conventional map and the term 'central' is used in many local...
of Scotland, approximately midway between Edinburgh and Glasgow. The College delivers SQA
SQA
SQA may refer to:* Scottish Qualifications Authority* Software Quality Assurance or Software Quality Assurance Group* SQA Services, Inc....
accredited qualifications from Access 2, Access 3 and Intermediate 1 for Adult returners and special needs learners, to NQ Intermediate 2, Higher and HNC/D Level, in Computing, Engineering, Care, Art and Design, Business Management, and the Social Sciences, amongst others. Plans are being rolled out, in partnership with Napier University and University of Edinburgh, to confer BAs through part-time courses to students wishing to further their education also, the first being awarded in the subject of Business Administration.
Courses
The principal subjects supported by West Lothian college are –- Healthcare and Care
- Social Science
- Computing
- Electronics
- Retail
- Hospitality
- Business Management
- Creative Industries - Art, Design
- Image and Beauty – Beauty Therapy, Hairdressing
- Sport and Fitness
- Core Skills – Communication, Numeracy, ICT
- Assisted Learning
- Construction
- Motor Vehicle Maintenance
In recognition of the many social barriers that restrict individuals from accessing education and training, West Lothian College has developed a number of initiatives that promote wider access to vocational training.
The College works in partnership with a number of statutory and voluntary organisations. In relation to young, unemployed people, they are currently engaged with West Lothian Council, Employment Services, Scottish Enterprise and West Lothian Youth Forum, in developing training and education programmes for socially excluded young people. Programmes include New Deal, a national training programme run by Jobcentre Plus
Jobcentre Plus
Jobcentre Plus was a government agency for working-age people in Great Britain. The agency was formed when the Employment Service, which operated Jobcentres, merged with the Benefits Agency, which ran social security offices, and was re-named Jobcentre Plus on 1 April 2002...
, Modern Apprenticeships and Get Ready For Work for Skills Development Scotland, Step Up (full time training for school leavers with no qualifications) with West Lothian Council, and the promotion of community learning centres, also with West Lothian Council.