College and council join forces to launch courses in the community

New scheme will see West Lothian College offer courses in the community in partnership with West Lothian Council

A new partnership will see West Lothian College take the courses it offers out to its students - delivering them in community venues.

West Lothian Council’s Culture and Leisure Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel (PDSP) heard that the college was working with the council’s Adult Learning service on the scheme which launches in January.

The first units to be offered  in the opening  six months of the project will be Child Development/Child Play and Professional Cookery. The project will be evaluated at the end of the programme in June next year, with a view to expanding the range of courses on offer after the summer term.

The hope is that those who take the courses will develop the confidence to progress to further learning at college or will gain the qualifications they need to move into employment. 

In a report to the PDSP, adult learning manager Laura Wilson said: “The aim of the project is to engage learners who may not consider attending college, by making classes more accessible to them and less daunting for some than the college environment.”

She added: “The courses will be delivered by college lecturers and will be SQA accredited. Learners will be recruited by Adult Learning and receive ongoing support from an adult learning worker throughout their learning journey.”