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Skills and Enterprise Strategy

2030 Learners Come First

Your College, Your Future Skills and Enterprise Strategy 2030 | Borders College

Contents Foreword

Introduction

Regional Context

Our Skills Delivery Model

Our Holistic Approach to

Skills Planning and Delivery Developing Enterprise

The Scottish Borders as a

Destination for Business How We Will Measure Our Success

Skills and Enterprise Strategy

2030 Learners Come First

Your College, Your Future

Foreword Welcome to Borders College’s Skills and Enterprise Strategy for 2025–2030. It is designed to support the outcomes set out in Vision 2030, our statement of ambition. At Borders College, our mission is to provide the highest quality learning experience and outcomes, to support business and drive

Vision 2030 has stated that Borders College is: • Respectful;

economic growth in the Scottish Borders. Our

• Responsible; and

Vision 2030 clearly states that our learners

• People-Centred.

are central to our purpose, and this Skills and Enterprise Strategy clearly defines how we will ensure that their experience and outcomes are the best they can be and that they are

Enabling people to succeed means all of us living by those values and this Strategy sets out how we will work together to make

enabled to move on to positive destinations.

Borders College a place where everyone can

We can only succeed in our ambitions by

team to ensure that is realised.

succeed. I look forward to working with our

bringing people together, guided by our shared values and sense of purpose.

Pete Smith, Principal and CEO

Skills and Enterprise Strategy 2030 | Borders College

Introduction Borders College Vision 2030, “Your College Your Future” is our statement of ambition, setting out what we want to achieve for the Scottish Borders by 2030. This Skills and Enterprise Strategy is one of six key supporting strategies and will be pivotal in ensuring our ambitions are realised. Our College has a long-standing commitment to delivering high-quality learning experiences while also supporting businesses to equip learners with the skills, knowledge and behaviours they need to succeed. This Strategy builds on that foundation, setting a clear direction for the coming years; specifically, it describes our approach to achieving three strategic outcomes for our region: 1. Improved learner outcomes – More learners will be supported to achieve their learning outcomes and achieve positive destinations. 2. Sustainable curriculum that meets the needs of our region – Our curriculum priorities will clearly reflect regional needs, with clear leaning pathways supported by a sustainable resource plan.

Your College, Your Future

3. Increased support to regional businesses – We will demonstrate increased engagement with businesses across our region, with a focus on supporting innovation and growing commercial opportunities. We recognise that every learner journey is different and can depend on several factors. An individual’s learning journey should be positive, offer progression, meet their aspirations and have a destination that is important to them. We will ensure that our support is flexible and responsive to learner need.

But we do not see our provision for individuals and businesses as being separate. Our integrated Single Delivery Model ensures that we maximise responsiveness across all our programmes of learning and that no group is seen as more important than any other. Our Regional Board and our staff team are fully committed to our learners and their success. We are certified as a “Great Place to Work” and, with student satisfaction rates at 98%, we are and will continue to be ‘A great place to learn’.

Similarly, we understand that business need differs across sectors and according to scale. We will ensure our programmes of learning are designed to meet the needs of the regional economy and that we are agile in our delivery.

Your

College, Your

Future We are the largest provider of Modern Apprenticeships in the region, supporting over 650 individuals annually, with 289 directly contracted starts in 2024-25. 6

Regional Context Borders College plays a pivotal role in the delivery of skills and learning in the Scottish Borders. As the largest provider of tertiary education in the Region, in 2024-25 we enrolled 1,143 full-time and 2,965 part-time students. We are also the largest provider of Modern Apprenticeships in the Region, with 289 starts in 2024-25. In recent years we have experienced strengthening demand, leading to increased student numbers. At the same time, we have improved both our success and satisfaction rates. For 2024-25, this translated to: • 5% improvement in student outcomes across all modes of delivery, and remaining above-sector averages in all modes of delivery • 7% improvement in outcomes for students attending our ‘Schools Academy’ programmes for students also attending secondary schools across the Scottish Borders

Over 20% of our full time enrolments are Higher Education students, and we work closely with University partners to ensure clear progression routes. We also pride ourselves in being an inclusive college. We have robust processes and amazing staff to support our most vulnerable students. As the designated Regional College for the Scottish Borders, our curriculum offer still primarily reflects the needs of the Region and is based on market intelligence gained from our partnerships with industry sectors and schools, and in utilising our Regional Skills Assessments to shape our future offer to meet anticipated changes. We recognise the ever-changing economic landscape and we will invest in our staff and prepare our students to support businesses and the Borders economy for the next five years and beyond.

• Over 16% improvement in outcomes for ‘Care Experienced Students’ • Overall Student satisfaction rate of 98%.

Skills and Enterprise Strategy 2030 | Borders College

Our Skills Delivery Model The Schools Academy Students are the centre of everything we do at Borders College. Our staff and board are fully committed to their individual growth and success. We continually work with key stakeholders to ensure a ‘partnership’ approach to delivery, with a focus on quality, digital enhancement, real life work experience environments, opportunities for progression (employment or further/higher education), pathways that offer qualifications and skills, aligning our delivery to regional need and government priorities. For Borders College students progressing to employment after completing their qualification, our aim is to ensure they are work- and workplace-ready. In addition to their vocational skills, they have the confidence capacity and capability to make an immediate and effective contribution to their employer’s business and to add value from their first day in the job. We also work with our Students’ Association to seek their views and feedback on all aspects of their learning journey. Our College has a rich background of leadership and skills delivery in sustainable practices and we pride ourselves on embedding an ethos of sustainability in all our activities. Your College, Your Future

Recognising the diversity of experience of our learners, we take a “traumainformed” approach to our learning and support models.

Partnership between SBC

Throughout our planning, we ensure our decisions are data-driven. Our robust planning ensures that our offer aligns to regional need, and maximises progression opportunities and potential economic growth.

opportunities for young

Our engagement with South of Scotland Enterprise and our Regional Economic partnership ensures we are forward-thinking, and able to plan for and support major inward investment opportunities for the Region. Over the next five years, our holistic approach to skills delivery will ensure we meet the needs of all of our learners, and will enrich their College experience. Our lecturing and professional services teams will have the tools they need to develop and deliver our curriculum to support changing regional need, while ensuring our learners remain at the centre of our thinking. This will deliver improved learner success and satisfaction, increased business engagement and commercial activity, and greater coherence in our learner pathways.

and Borders College reflects a shared commitment to delivering rich curriculum people. It stands as a powerful example of what can be achieved through genuine collaboration and innovation. By reimagining the school week and creating a dedicated Friday to Collegeled learning experience, our young people have flourished. Together we are aligning school and college learning to inspire ambition, develop real-world skills and achieve industry-recognised qualifications, creating clear pathways to future study and employment in the Borders and beyond. Catherine Thomson, Quality Improvement Manager, Scottish Borders Council 7

Our Holistic Approach to Skills Planning and Delivery

Inclusive and Accessible Learning

Sustainability Ethos

Learners

Digitally Enabled Learning Quality Culture

High Student Satisfaction Trauma Informed Practice

Embedded Entrepreneurial Skills

Clear Pathways to Positive Destinations

Data Driven Decision Making

Partnerships Driving Success

Skills and Enterprise Strategy 2030 | Borders College

Working with Borders College has been an extremely positive experience for the Adult Social Care Department of Scottish Borders Council. The collaboration has strengthened communication and created a real sense of partnership. The delivery of Social Services & Healthcare Qualifications has had a significant impact – not only on the professional growth of our staff but also on the quality of care and support provided to our service users. Borders College has been

Your College, Your Future

consistently supportive in facilitating awards and modern apprenticeships, ensuring candidates receive tailored assistance to meet their individual learning needs. The flexibility and responsiveness of the assessors has been outstanding, enabling us to overcome challenges and maintain high standards throughout the process. Regular monthly feedback meetings have been invaluable. These sessions provide updates on the

progress of each application and detailed reports from assessors on current students. Any concerns or issues are highlighted promptly, allowing me to communicate effectively with managers so that additional support can be put in place for candidates when needed. This proactive approach has made a real difference to staff confidence and competence, and ultimately to the people we support. Mark Chandler, Practice Mentor – Learning and Development Team Adult Social Care, Scottish Borders Council

SDS and Borders College have a strong working partnership that ensures learners receive the right support at the right time. Open communication between College staff and SDS advisers enables timely support for learners as their needs arise. This is further reinforced through an annual Partnership Agreement, which helps plan and coordinate support throughout the year. Our partnership is an excellent example of effective collaboration in practice Skills Development Scotland.

Skills and Enterprise Strategy 2030 | Borders College

Developing Enterprise Borders College plays a pivotal role in the delivery of skills for the region. Working in partnership with over 500 businesses on an annual basis, we recognise having a skilled workforce is key for our region to prosper and flourish. With almost 80% of our students being part-time, it is vital for us to respond in a timely manner and ensure our business portfolio offer impacts positively to regional need and priorities. Our partnership approach has seen considerable success:

• Annually, we deliver to almost 1,000 people in employment to gain a qualification in their career journey

• We are the 5th largest provider of Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland

• Skills Development Scotland Regional Skills Assessment

• We are the best performing regional college in Scotland for Modern Apprenticeships, with a success rate over 83%

• Transition to a net-zero economy

• Annually, we support over 500 employers in addressing their training and upskilling needs As we look to continue working with our partners, there are a number of drivers that must shape our engagement: • UK and Scottish Government strategies

• Inward Investment Opportunities • Local Labour Market Intelligence

At Matthew Lee Joinery Ltd, we are proud to see our employees developing their skills through the excellent training and education at Borders College for over 10 years now. Investing in apprenticeships not only strengthens our business, but also builds confident,

• Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal and Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal The key to the success of our partnership journey with our business partners will be a deeper engagement model across our curriculum development and delivery teams, and we look forward to successful joint working to our mutual benefit.

While the College rightly focuses on providing skills and knowledge that employers want and that meet the needs of the Borders Region, we also want to encourage a culture of enterprise at the College that empowers students to set up their own business, work for themselves and contribute to the economic growth and productivity of the Borders Region. A number of our vocational courses specifically develop enterprise and entrepreneurship and promote self-employment as a realistic and achievable alternative career route. Our Start Up Centre creates a safe space for those would-be entrepreneurs to test their ideas, develop their business plans, and provides support and signposting to business services that ensures any new business set up by a Borders College Graduate has the best possible chance to develop and succeed. Over the next five years, we will increase the numbers of businesses we directly engage with, and will develop deeper relationships. This will enable us to build a richer understanding of need, and ultimately increase our upskilling and reskilling delivery to support economic growth.

capable tradespeople for the future. Your College, Your Future

The Scottish Borders as a Destination for Business Co-creation, co-development and co-delivery of courses that promote upskilling

The Scottish Borders

Skilled workforce Economic growth

Experienced staff to deliver bespoke training required for our employed students

Responsive to regional need

Employer satisfaction rates at 90% and above

PARTNERSHIPS 12

Skills and Enterprise Strategy 2030 | Borders College

Achieving my qualification has given me the opportunity to develop my skills and progress in my job. Doing so has also allowed me to gain the confidence to pursue a qualification as a ‘mature student’ and hopefully make my family proud.

99%

of students say staff encourage students to take responsibility for their learning.

Laura, SCQF Level 7, Management

4,100 students enrolled at Borders College in 2024-25.

Your College, Your Future

92%

of students believe all students at the College are treated equally and fairly by staff.

How We Will Measure Our Success We will agree annual KPIs that will enable the following improvements to performance over the period of this Strategy:

• Our student success rates will improve by 1% per annum, and remain in the top eight performing colleges in Scotland • Our student satisfaction rate will be maintained at a minimum of 95% • Our full-time higher education enrolments will increase by 10% annually to reach a total of at least 250 by 2027-28, and will be maintained thereafter • Our employer satisfaction rate will increase from a baseline of 90% in 202526 to at least 95% in 2028-29, and will be maintained thereafter • Our commercial activity will increase by at least 2% year-on-year • The number of our full-time courses incorporating entrepreneurial activity will increase from 10% in 2025-26 to at least 25% by 2028-29, and will be maintained thereafter

Skills and Enterprise Strategy 2030 | Borders College

2030 Learners Come First

Borders College Scottish Borders Campus Nether Road Galashiels TD1 3HE

t: 01896 66 26 00 borderscollege.ac.uk

Skills and Enterprise Strategy

2030 Learners Come First