Colleges Scotland has welcomed Dr Waiyin Hatton as its new Chair.

Dr Hatton is currently Chair of West College Scotland and has been a Board member of Colleges Scotland for two years. She is the founder/director of Wai Beyond, a consultancy which delivers personal coaching, leadership and organisational development, and motivational events.

She succeeds Ken Milroy MBE who has been in the role since 2017.

Dr Hatton said: “It’s an immense honour to become Chair of Colleges Scotland at such a challenging time. I’d like to thank my predecessor Ken Milroy for the outstanding job he has done to support colleges especially throughout the pandemic.”

“Colleges have never been more important to Scotland’s economy than now and the world-class learning opportunities they offer are key to the national recovery from Covid-19.

“However, the sector faces serious challenges to ensure we can continue to deliver for our students, Scotland’s employers and our communities. I look forward to working collaboratively with our colleges’ executive teams, with our political representatives and all those who are committed to ensuring we continue to deliver the skills our students need for the workplaces of tomorrow.”

Outgoing Colleges Scotland Chair Ken Milroy MBE added: “It has been a privilege to have had a role to play in supporting Scotland’s colleges for the past four years and, in particular over the past two years, which have seen the resilience of college students and staff come to the fore.

“The college landscape has changed enormously during my tenure. The first two years saw us work incredibly hard to deliver the world-class learning we had come to expect, while the incredible determination and innovation shown through pandemic allowed us to continue to provide that expertise while coping with lockdowns and other restrictions.

“And it’s that relentless pursuit of excellence which convinces me that the sector has the resilience to deal with any future challenges thrown its way.

“We’ve also produced a challenging and exciting Statement of Ambition, a five-year plan for success within the sector which, if properly funded, will deliver the skills which will lead Scotland’s economic recovery.”

“I wish Waiyin the very best of luck in her new role where I know she will be a huge success in driving forward the ambitions of all of us.”

Chief Executive Shona Struthers added: “I very much look forward to working with Waiyin and, at a time of extremely difficult financial circumstances facing Scotland’s colleges, ensuring we continue to deliver the world-class experiences students, employers and communities deserve and need.

“I’d also like to thank outgoing Chair Ken Milroy for his outstanding stewardship, support and leadership, which has been invaluable.”