New College Lanarkshire

New College Lanarkshire (NCL) is a high quality institution; the fifth largest Further Education College in Scotland with over 1000 staff and 19,000 learners. The organisation is structured to reflect the needs of employers in identified key sectors; ensuring that confident learners progress to become highly skilled graduates sought by industry. NCL has six academic faculties which work within seven campuses across the Lanarkshire region to deliver a wide ranging and exciting curriculum at further and short cycle higher education level: Faculty of Care and Science, Faculty of Business, Sport and Social Science, Faculty of Creative Industries, Faculty of Supported Learning, Faculty of Engineering and Automotive and Faculty of Service Industries. As with all Scottish Further Education organisations, New College Lanarkshire utilises a learning outcome approach and delivers a range of unitised courses from access level to degree programme. The education standards body for Scotland, (Education Scotland) core reviews report total confidence in NCL learning, teaching and management, with no caveats and multiple examples of cutting-edge practice. The College mission is to: 'Ensure learners are well prepared for the future by providing innovative, high quality, relevant learning for careers, life and success. Supporting the people, business, economy and sustainable development of Scotland' NCL serves a population of 757,960, incorporating post industrialised urban centres and more rural hinterlands which are home to many deprived communities which experience high unemployment, significant levels of disadvantage and the second highest percentage of unemployed school leavers in Scotland. These regional characteristics are largely reflected in the fact that a majority of learners at NCL are young, local residents who suffer from multiple, complex barriers to participation in training and employment. Many learners face financial difficulties, possess no formal qualifications, have never travelled outside the UK and come from families that experience generational unemployment. NCL works closely with the Scottish Government to maximise use of public money and deliver optimum social, economic and community impact; boosting economic regeneration throughout Lanarkshire and beyond. NCL is funded mainly through national government and is financially stable. Through careful budgeting and income-generation initiatives the college has historically delivered activity for learners above the levels funded. Through the implementation of the Lanarkshire Regional Strategy 2016-2019 the College aims to grow the supply of skills in support of developing our regional economy in higher added value sectors through a partnership approach with industry and business that will strive to ensure the supply of a skilled, knowledgeable workforce ready for success. There will be a renewed focus to continue to widen access and address the needs of those disadvantaged in the labour market, particularly the high proportion from workless households and those with no qualifications. NCL's commitment to this delivery is detailed in the Regional Outcome Agreement; designed to maintain and improve the quality of outcomes for learners within financial budgets set by the Scottish Funding Council. As an ambitious college with a sincere desire for innovation and excellence in delivery for our students and teaching staff, NCL collaborate with a range of partners in support of regional economic development, particularly local employers. Work-based learning is central to learning and teaching strategies which are aligned with Scottish Government priorities. This includes ambitious targets for growth in the number of apprenticeships, work-based learning programmes and initiatives for disadvantaged young people.