The first meeting of the Scottish Government’s Student Support Review Group took place at Forth Valley College’s Alloa Campus this week (Monday 5 December).
The review group is being independently chaired by Jayne-Anne Gadhia, CEO Virgin Money, with a remit to deliver recommendations on how to deliver an improved package of support for students in Scotland.
The review group includes a wide range of representatives from across the sector and beyond.
Their first meeting also included an opportunity for the chair, alongside Minister for Further & Higher Education Shirley-Anne Somerville, to meet a group of Forth Valley College’s Early Education students and hear about their support experiences first hand.
Ms Somerville said:
“I want student support to be better aligned to the interests and needs of our college and university students, therefore I am delighted that this review is now underway.
“I am sure the review group will gather input from many different groups and interests, before they present their findings to Ministers next year. And it is clear that the views of students themselves will be paramount to the process.
“We had a very open and frank conversation with the students from Forth Valley College and I really appreciate them taking the time to share their experiences with us.”
Jayne-Anne Gadhia said:
“Getting student support right is hugely important. Not just for the wellbeing of students, but also the importance of having successful and trained new entrants to support the Scottish job market.
“A key ask that emerged from the discussions with the Forth Valley students was about the need for support to be simpler, with more accessible information about what is available.
“As the review group takes forward its work I look forward to more discussions with students, as well as all those with a contribution to make to improve the way we support students in Scotland.”
Dr Ken Thomson, Principal of Forth Valley College, added:
“We are delighted that Shirley-Anne Somerville and Jayne-Anne Gadhia chose to have the first student support review group meeting at our Alloa Campus.
“We introduced them to students from our HNC Childhood Practice group in our simulated nursery and they were both delighted to speak with them on various aspects of student life, from student funding to quality information on career paths.
“Hosting events such as these gives us a great opportunity to showcase our fantastic facilities and introduce decision makers to our student community.”