Forth Valley College has been confirmed as Scotland’s top performing college for STEM related courses.
Figures within the Scottish Funding Council’s report on College Performance Indicators for 2015/16 demonstrated that the College had an 86.9% success rate for FE and HE courses across the combined subject areas of engineering, science, computing and ICT – 16% above the sector average.
The report has further endorsed the quality of the College’s STEM provision.
The College was re-accredited for STEM Assured Status in 2016, an industry-led quality marked awarded by the STEM Foundation. In addition, their new £83million Falkirk Campus, which is due to open in 2019, will have a strong focus on STEM provision and will offer industry standard, state-of-the-art learning environments.
Overall, the Scottish Funding Council’s report also confirmed that FVC students are achieving well above the sector average across all full-time and part-time FE and HE provision. In particular, success rates for part-time HE courses remain the highest in Scotland at 88% while success rates for part-time FE courses (including Modern Apprenticeships) are a close second – and at 91% are 17% above the sector average.
Dr Ken Thomson, Principal of Forth Valley College said: “I am justifiably proud of our outstanding success rates particularly in relation to our STEM provision. They demonstrate our passion for driving the STEM agenda forward and the vital role that Forth Valley College is playing in delivering the quality skills and training required for Scotland’s future economic success.
“Across the board, our performance indicators also show our commitment to offering the best possible learning experiences for our students and delivering the skills required by their future employers – truly ‘Making Learning Work’ for everyone.”
Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, said: “I’d like to congratulate Forth Valley College on its excellent results in the Performance Indicators report, which should be a source of great pride for staff and students and prove once again what a valuable asset the college is to the local area.
“It’s particularly welcome to see that the vast majority of students who successfully complete their courses move on to employment or further study. This is a testament to the college’s commitment to ensuring positive outcomes for its students by fostering close links with local employers and investing in strategic subject areas such as engineering, science and computing & ICT.
“In doing so, Forth Valley College is playing a vital role in helping to provide the skilled and educated workforce that’s key to ensuring a strong Scottish economy.”
Clackmannanshire and Dunblane MSP, Keith Brown said: “This is an outstanding report for Forth Valley College and I would like to offer my congratulations to all of the management team, staff and students for their continued hard work and commitment.
“The performance indicators demonstrate that the work undertaken in recent years – including the partnership working with local schools, is paying dividends and that Forth Valley College is playing an important part in ensuring that young people across Clackmannanshire achieve the best possible outcomes.”
Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, said: “I am delighted to congratulate Forth Valley College on its tremendous Scottish Funding Council report on College Performance Indicators for 2015/16. I am very proud of the fact that the college, which has a fantastic Campus in Stirling, is Scotland’s top performing college in STEM related courses and is above the sector average in several other Further Education categories. Staff and students at Forth Valley College always put in a great amount of hard work and effort in everything they do and they are rightly being rewarded for this by the report’s findings.
“I have always known that Forth Valley College consistently delivers excellent results in the FE sector. The college plays an essential role in education and training in the Stirling area and I am delighted to see this being recognised at a national level.”