This week’s blog is by Jackie Galbraith, Principal and CEO at West Lothian College.  Colleges Scotland is marking the diversity and variety of the work that Scotland's 24 colleges do with our new blog series, 24 in 2024.

This is Challenge Poverty Week (#CPW24).  From Monday 7 to Sunday 13 October, the campaign will highlight the injustice of poverty in Scotland and call for collective action to create solutions based on justice and compassion.  According to the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2024-25:

“Eradicating child poverty is the single greatest priority for this Government.  No individual’s opportunities should be dictated by the circumstances they are born into.”

Priority calls for action of this year’s Challenge Poverty campaign are: 

• Everyone has enough income for a decent life
• Secure, safe and affordable housing
• Affordable, accessible and reliable transport
• Dignified access to good, healthy and sustainable food
• Sustainable funding over three years for third sector organisations that support people affected by poverty.

Tens of thousands of college students live in poverty.  Many are legally children as they are under-18.  Some are parents with children to support and the government’s statement that “children’s poverty is parent’s poverty” is very relevant. 

Students experiencing poverty often face additional challenges such as being care experienced, having a disability, experience of childhood trauma and poor mental health.  Aware of the interconnectedness of these, West Lothian College adopted a whole-college, trauma-skilled approach to tackling student poverty five years ago and this is now being adopted by other colleges.

Colleges Mitigate Student Poverty

Student poverty is not new.  But it is getting worse and student funding teams in colleges across the country deal with the effects of this every day. 

Colleges understand poverty.  Many who work in colleges have their own experience of adversity and the mitigations we put in place come from a place of empathy rather than sympathy.  We know that the poverty experienced by our students and their families often gets in the way of their learning which is why we do so much to mitigate it.  For example, West Lothian College has provided a free hot breakfast and lunch for students since 2018 after reports of learners fainting in class due to hunger.  Most colleges now provide some form of free food to students. 

Colleges help students who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness through rent arrears or other circumstances.  We have a washing machine on campus for students in precarious housing situations who otherwise cannot afford to clean their clothes.  We help students with transport and childcare costs.  Through close working with local third sector organisations, our students can access free school uniforms for their children, as well as Christmas presents for children who would otherwise go without. 

These mitigating efforts were recognised earlier this year when our Student Association won an NUS Scotland Award for how it works in partnership with college staff and external partners to tackle student poverty.

Colleges Provide Pathways Out of Poverty

But colleges do so much more than mitigate the immediate effects of students experiencing poverty.  We help people build pathways out of poverty through education and skills, something I experienced myself over thirty years ago.  Going to college in the mid-1980s, after a lengthy period of unemployment, interspersed with low-paid and insecure jobs, led me into better jobs and out of poverty. 

Access to good jobs that offer at least the real living wage and living hours is essential for eliminating poverty.  And people have a better chance of accessing good jobs if their skills are current and relevant.  This is where colleges are so essential.  Seeing parents, siblings and carers embarking on life-changing college courses is incredibly powerful for children living in households experiencing poverty.

Colleges educate practitioners with a deep understanding of how poverty impacts health, education and life chances.  We are critical in developing the child, health and social care workforce that understands the harm that poverty, trauma and poor mental health causes children and adults. 

Colleges as Fair Work Employers

As employers, colleges have embraced the Fair Work principles that are so important in tackling in-work poverty.  We are Living Wage employers and offer our employees excellent terms and conditions, including generous employer contributions to their pensions.  Importantly, we encourage our staff to maintain and enhance their skills through training and professional development opportunities. 

Employee assistance programmes help staff facing financial, health and personal challenges throughout their career, and colleges offer an ever-expanding range of support for wellbeing.  For example, at West Lothian College all staff have a wellbeing day each year in addition to their annual leave entitlement and we offer family friendly policies that include hybrid working and compressed hours.

Colleges have an important role to play in encouraging the businesses we work or contract with to adopt Fair Work principles like the real living wage. 

Challenge Poverty

Returning to the priorities for this year’s Challenge Poverty Week, students like anyone else living in poverty need a decent income.  They need affordable and reliable public transport.  They need somewhere decent to live and access to healthy, affordable food. 

On the last point, West Lothian College will launch Pennies Pantry during Challenge Poverty Week to provide affordable food and hygiene products for students and staff (5 items for £1).  Supported with food donations from West Lothian’s Financial Inclusion Service, the pantry will be run by our assisted programmes students.

The government wants sustained and cohesive effort across local and national government, the third sector, businesses and communities to eliminate child poverty. 

Colleges are responding to this call, and will continue to work in partnership with partners in our regions to strengthen our communities and enable success for all.