Conference Facilities

Colleges Scotland is the Membership organisation for all 26 colleges in Scotland. At our Argyll Court base in Stirling we offer modern, digitally connected meeting rooms for our Members to use as a Hub, and for non-Members to use commercially.

The three meeting rooms can be configured for Board meetings, conferences and smaller meetings, with our staff available to make sure your event runs smoothly. There is a communal networking space to breakout into for lunch and breaks.

> Download our Conference Facilities Brochure

Key College Facts

Colleges have been in existence for over 150 years; the first college was established in 1865.

There are 24 colleges in 13 regions across Scotland, delivering around 71 million hours of learning to over 236,000 learners every year.

Colleges are significant employers in their regions, employing over 14,000 staff.

Around a quarter of all higher education in Scotland is delivered in colleges and the sector enables over 8,500 students to progress into university each year.

Colleges are the biggest delivery agent of Modern Apprenticeships, supporting over 13,000 students.

Colleges work closely with schools to provide opportunities for young people and offering vocational pathways into careers – 26% of school leavers go into further education from school (36% from the most deprived areas).

Colleges work in partnership with businesses to re-skill and up-skill the workforce – over 111,000 enrolments are linked to industry. Care has the highest number of enrolments linked to industry.

As civic anchors, colleges support their local communities by providing access to facilities such as on-campus sports facilities, beauty services and restaurants. They also support individuals locally – 24% of students have a recorded disability and 8% of students are from minority ethnic groups.

College Principals' Group

The College Principals’ Group (CPG) purpose is:

To deliver strong leadership in partnership to ensure a vibrant and successful college sector for Scotland and to create a credible and confident executive voice for the sector by:

developing and influencing key relationships;
driving innovations, change and success in the core business of the sector, which is to deliver lifelong learning in the areas of:
- skills and economy
- post-16 education
- inclusion and social mobility

Chair

Joanna Campbell, Chair of College Principals' Group and Principal and Chief Executive, Dumfries and Galloway College

Vice Chair

(Vacancy), Vice Chair of College Principals' Group

Promoting the Sector

Part of our work is to gain visibility for colleges and the work they do through the media, with stakeholders and with elected representatives. As part of the College Marketing and Communications Network we work with our sector colleagues on campaigns like #LoveScotlandsColleges, and promote positive news stories about the college sector at every opportunities. We also produce publications like our Keyfacts booklet which shows the key statistics of the sector. View our recent News coverage.

Shaping the Policy Agenda

We engage with stakeholders on behalf of the college sector to bring about positive changes in the policy landscape for colleges in Scotland. Some of the work the team are engaged around includes:

Maximising available investment to come to Scotland’s colleges from Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council. For example, in the academic year 2021/22 colleges saw an increase of £60.1 million (9.2%) compared with academic year 2020/21 in available funding.
Working closely with our Members to represent college views in the recent Scottish Funding Council Review of Coherent Provision and Sustainability. You can read our response to the Scottish Funding Council Review.
Inputting into the Independent Commission on the College of the Future in developing and delivering both the College of the Future UK report in October 2020 and the Scottish College of the Future report in December 2020.
Taking forward work around a Future Technology Partnership, to ensure a coordinated and planned approach to the wider technology skills required by Scotland to maximise economic transformation and workforce development, and to close the Digital Workforce Gap.
Focusing attention on the Climate Emergency for colleges as providing the workforce of the future, the Just Transition, and colleges as institutions. Collaborated with stakeholders to create the college sector Statement of Commitment on the Climate Emergency.
Working with the Scottish Funding Council to co-create an Infrastructure Strategy for the college sector, bringing together buildings and physical estates and the future digital infrastructure needs of colleges, alongside 2045 net-zero emission requirements for colleges as public bodies.
Liaising with the Scottish Government in supporting the Mental Health and Wellbeing of students and staff and in ensuring colleges are appropriately resourced to deliver Mental Health and Wellbeing support, including the rollout of funding for counsellors across the college sector. Colleges Scotland also secured an additional £4.4m of funding for initiatives to support student and staff mental health and wellbeing.
Supporting the successful delivery of activity by the college sector against key Scottish Government objectives and policy agendas, including the Young Person’s Guarantee and National Transition Training Fund, in addition to Foundation Apprenticeships.
Advocating in a range of policy areas on the impact of colleges in supporting economic transformation, lifelong learning and upskilling and reskilling activity.

View our consultation responses.