Department focus proves popular at Open Evenings

Department facilities were the focus of two open evening events promoting courses and apprenticeship opportunities available at Forth Valley College.

The events took place on Tuesday 3 March (4.30pm – 7.30pm) at the Falkirk Campus and on Wednesday 4 March (4.30pm – 7.30pm) at the Stirling Campus and more than 200 potential new students attended both events in total.

They also coincided with Skills Development Scotland’s (SDS) Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2026 from Monday 2 – Friday 6 March, with a wide range of employers also attending to promote current apprenticeship opportunities and vacancies.

This year, the open evenings were curriculum focused, highlighting key courses and specialisms associated with each campus.  Visitors were able to explore the teaching areas that interested them and, where possible, get a first-hand look at the facilities, equipment and learning environments available.

Across both evenings, representatives from the College’s teaching departments and Apprenticeships, Skills and Commercial Team were on hand to offer advice and guidance on the wide range of courses available - including full-time courses, Partnership Degrees with Scotland’s leading universities, Modern Apprenticeships, school partnership provision, evening courses, industry training and flexible learning programmes.

Support teams were available to provide careers advice and answer questions on topics such as funding, learning support and applying to college, helping visitors make informed choices about their next steps.

Those attending the Falkirk event were also able to see some of the facilities available through the new Skills Transition Centre https://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/about-us/skills-transition-centre funded through the Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal, including robotics, a driving simulator and AR welding kit.

And those attending the Falkirk Open Evening were delighted to witness an impromptu laser light and music show in the main campus quadrangle, organised by FVC Technician James Russell, who also runs Laser Monkeys https://lasermonkeys.co.uk/

Kenny MacInnes, Principal of Forth Valley College said: “Our open evenings offer a fantastic opportunity for people to come along and find out about the different options available to them – whether they’re interested in a full-time course, finding out about Modern Apprenticeship vacancies currently on offer, thinking about studying for one of our school partnership courses or pursuing a degree qualification.

“This year, we refreshed the format of our events to make them more curriculum focused, allowing prospective students to spend more time in the teaching areas that interest them and get a real feel for the facilities and learning environments available. We hope this approach helped people make more confident and informed decisions about their next steps and future pathways to a fulfilling career.

“These events are also really useful for people considering applying to college who may have questions around things such as student funding or the application process – and they’re also an excellent opportunity to find out what qualifications and skills employers are looking for.”

If you want to find out more about courses available at Forth Valley College visit www.forthvalley.ac.uk or call 01324 403000.