23
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2017
Appointments
SCOTLAND’S
Anambitiontomatchthelandscape
progression pathways is a key
strategic objective of the College.
“We will continue to develop
meaningful vocational pathways
that offer opportunities from
senior phase in school through to
Higher national Diploma and,
through articulation agreements, degree level study.
“We see ourselves as a key
economic driver for the region
and aim to develop transferable
skills such as digital technology,
ADVERTISING FEATURE
Dumfries and Galloway College
is seeking a performance leader
with the zeal to help deliver its
vision. By Graeme Andrews
I
n essence, perhaps even as a
matter of course, it surely
isn’t coincidence that the
aspirations of Dumfries and
Galloway College mirror those of
its geographic location.
“Rural but with big ambitions” paraphrases Principal and
CEO Carol Turnbull’s description of the further education
institution under her charge. It
has exhibited vigour in its journey to date. The locale is undertaking a similarly bullish
rediscovery of the value of its
offering.
These two elements are linked
by more than simple editorial
contrivance. You might say they
come as a package; they’ll
certainly be appraised with a
single eye by those applying for
the post of Vice-Principal, Planning and Performance, for which
a search has commenced.
It makes sense to look at the
role first of all, before seeking the
full professional and personal
context. Implicit is the ability to
provide inspirational leadership
and innovative development of
the relevant areas of responsibility. Wording including “…key
planning and performance
management functions of the
College, including self-evaluation…” point to the overarching
remit.
More specifically, as this insti-
tution moves towards a target of
“outstanding” levels of performance, embedding a culture of
quality enhancement throughout its work will be a central
tenet.
Further developing ICT and
embracing the latest digital
technology is a demand of the
post, aimed at enhancing both
learning and the College’s business services.
The selected candidate will be
joining two others with the
same Vice-Principal title. There
are two campuses; Dumfries
and Stranraer and 1,600 fulltime learners – 15 per cent of
that figure represents those
studying at the Stranraer facility. In addition, there are 3,500
part-time learners – some of
whom never come to college
because they undertake online
learning. The total staff headcount is 310.
Unsurprisingly the curriculum is broad and yet it reflects
local needs of Dumfries and
G a l l oway ’s e c o n o my a n d
in-demand labour market while
accommodating national
trends. It is a mix that gives
students multiple options.
niche markets, such as courses
relating to the energy sector
and its renewables segment, are
being developed.
“There are bespoke
‘We see
ourselves as
a key economic
driver for
the region’
ON THE SAME PAGE: Principal and CEO Carol Turnbull is working with employers to deliver required skills.
programmes for employers,”
comments Turnbull. “Examples
include the award winning
Overhead Lines Technician
programme run for Scottish
Power Energy network contractors, upskilling programmes for
local employers such as Morgan
Sindall [the construction and
regeneration g roup] and
Penman Engineering [specialist
and military vehicles] as well as
a range of programmes over the
years for Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership.
“We work closely with our
employers to deliver skills that
meet their needs. We offer a
range of hospitality courses
such as World Host, license
holder certification, food safety
and so on.”
Equally close alliances exist
with universities. “Strong part-
nerships have been established
with our Crichton Campus
[Dumfries] partners, the University of Glasgow, University of the
West of Scotland, SRUC [Scottish
Rural College] and the Open
University,” the Principal
explains.
“ We h ave a r t i c u l a t i o n
programmes with a wide range
of universities offering progression opportunities. Building
problem solving, communication, etc., as well as vocational
qualifications. Working with our
employers, and through use of
the Regional Skills Assessment
provided by Skills Development
Scotland, we will ensure our
curriculum matches local – and
national – skills requirements.
“The College is currently
exploring skills requirements in
the food and drink sector, which
has been identified as a key
industry within the region.”
She adds: “We will continue to
invest in our ICT infrastructure
to ensure our learners and staff
are able to access learning and
other services using their mobile
or laptop devices on the move.
The aim is to have a flexible,
blended learning environment
that supports employees, and
others, who wish to undertake
training and education on a parttime basis, alongside our fulltime learners.”
Getting back to the connection
between the professional and
personal elements, Turnbull is as
clear on the latter as she is on the
former.
“We want to build on our
successes and achieve our aim of
becoming an outstanding
college,” she reminds me. “We’re
looking for an ambitious, aspirational leader, with senior experience and a track record of
successful delivery in a strategic
p l a n n i n g, p u bl i c b o dy
environment.
“The College has a small executive team and this is an opportunity for someone with ambitions
to be a Principal/CEO to gain
experience, knowledge and
understanding of operating at a
senior level and to develop their
own skills whilst contributing to
the achievement of our Vision
2020 strategy.
“Dumfries and Galloway is a
beautiful region, voted BBC
Countryfile Holiday Destination
of the Year 2016. It has many visitor attractions and opportunities
for outside activities. Property
prices are rela tively low
compared to the Central belt,
there are excellent schools
throughout the region and transport links to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Carlisle and beyond are
all within reach.”
It is area of outstanding natural beauty. But road and rail
connectivity ensures “rural”
need not be a synonym for
remote.
In succinct terms, that’s the
environment that awaits, independently endorsed by those
outside its bounds.
Employment - General
 Accountancy
 Nursing & Medical
EXPERIENCED
FINANCIAL CONTROLLER /
ACCOUNTANT
Required by a Group of Companies,
based in South Lanarkshire, working
within the Construction Industry. To
produce monthly management accounts
and conversant with accounts to year end
audit. Knowledge of IT and Excel essential.
Please send CV’s to:
[email protected]
Conditions of Acceptance
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