Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Jenny Gilruth visited Forth Valley College’s Falkirk Campus on Thursday 14 March.
She was accompanied by the newly appointed Director of Lifelong Learning and Skills Shirley Laing, and both were welcomed by FVC Principal Kenny MacInnes.
After meeting with the College’s Senior Management Team, the Cabinet Secretary and her delegation were given a short tour of the £78 million Falkirk Campus, which was completed in 2020.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “Scotland’s Colleges have a crucial role in our post-16 education offer. It is for this reason that the Scottish Government supported the construction of the new Forth Valley campus in Falkirk with £65 million of investment, providing students with state-of-the-art facilities to bolster their learning experience.
“I was grateful to the College for the opportunity to learn more about the positive impact that this is having on the local area and the communities Forth Valley College serves.”
FVC Principal, Kenny MacInnes, said: “We were delighted to welcome the Cabinet Secretary to our Falkirk Campus HQ and show her how we are making learning work for our students, staff and our local community.
“These are challenging times for further education across Scotland at the moment, but we are confident that during our meeting we demonstrated how Forth Valley College is helping to lead the sector to a more positive future. Recent reports such as the one from the Fraser of Allander Institute, have shown just how much positive impact the College sector has on our economy and it is great to hear that the Cabinet Secretary shares this view.”