Scotland’s economic recovery will stall unless the Scottish government delivers a budget which fully supports the contribution of the nation’s colleges and universities. Almost every sector of the Scottish economy is reporting problems with workforce recruitment tied to the changing skills base required in a rapidly-evolving world. The pandemic, Brexit and demographic changes in Scotland have all contributed to what is now clearly a skills shortage impacting sectors from health to digital businesses, hospitality to pharmaceuticals.
Our view is that the only way to quickly make an impact and support the economic recovery is with strong and purposeful investment in further and higher education. Colleges and universities are currently working incredibly hard to provide the workforce Scotland needs for the future. We are developing learners with transferrable skills that will allow them to flourish in a fast-changing economy. We need the right investment that will allow for the development of education and skills training that will drive growth over the coming decade. Our SMEs are agile and they expect our students as well as colleges and universities to be responsive to the changing winds of the economy.
The 2021 Business Barometer report from the Institute of Directors and the Open University found 42 per cent of Scotland’s businesses think finding staff with the right skills is the biggest challenge they face in the coming year. Colleges and universities are perfectly positioned to meet the needs of employers: this is integral to everything we do from short ‘microcredential’ courses to professional training to part-time and full-time qualifications.
Failure to invest in colleges and universities risks leaving our economy without the pipeline of talented students who go on to enter the workforce with the skills, knowledge and expertise we need now and in the future. Investment must not only address the needs of the next 12 months, it must allow the FE and HE sectors to put in place robust, stable and innovative curricula, support national and local businesses, and work in partnership across regions of Scotland. Part of that plan includes the need for funding decisions taken with longevity in mind and, at the very least, it means the Scottish government needs to fund teaching in colleges and universities at a level that reflects the cost of that teaching. We are currently far from that.
Scotland’s colleges and universities are committed to supplying the essential skills, training and education needed by our students, employers and our nation. However, only the Scottish Government can make those aspirations achievable by delivering a budget which reflects the opportunities and threats we face in addressing the nation’s needs for a skilled and entrepreneurial workforce.
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Shona Struthers is chief executive of Colleges Scotland and Alastair Sim is director of Universities Scotland
