Edinburgh College shortlisted in four categories at Herald HE Awards
Edinburgh College has been shortlisted in four categories at this year’s Herald HE Awards for a variety of projects that represent outstanding examples of good practice and collaboration within the College.
Celebrating Higher Education institutions in Scotland and showcasing key aspects of education excellence within them, the awards recognise the excellent work, efforts and achievements of staff and students across Scotland’s colleges and universities.
Alongside Edinburgh College Students’ Association, the College has been named a finalist in the Supporting Student Wellbeing category for their work in supporting students during the cost of living crisis. Allowing students to access free breakfasts, free food and drink, free clothing and free books, the support has helped to improve student wellbeing by removing some of the stress of living in a financial crisis.
The College has also been shortlisted in the Widening Access category for the Aspire programme, which supports vulnerable and disengaged young people, and their families, in East Lothian. Through allowing S2 pupils to try a range of different taster sessions that combine industry-themed projects in areas of job growth, the programme helps young people to build an understanding of future career choices, whilst also developing the skills and knowledge they need for employment.
In the Partnership category, the College and software development company 2iTesting have been shortlisted for a course they developed to enable students from underrepresented backgrounds to build their digital skills and find routes into the tech industry.
Meanwhile, in the Outstanding Business Engagement in Colleges category, the College was named a finalist following the relaunch of the Creative Industries faculty’s sector-leading Employability Day, which was the first large-scale event hosted by the faculty since the Covid-19 pandemic. The Creative and Tech Futures Day saw hundreds of students meet with employers for a series of talks and workshops that helped them learn about the demands of their respective industries first-hand, as well as gain insights into the skills, knowledge and qualities sought by employers.
The winners of the Herald HE Awards 2023 will be announced on Thursday 1 June during an awards ceremony at the Radisson Blu hotel in Glasgow.
We are thrilled to have been shortlisted for so many awards at this year’s Herald HE Awards. It’s fantastic that our staff are being recognised for all the hard work they put into supporting our students, boosting their employability, and opening up educational opportunities to those in the wider community. Congratulations and good luck to all the finalists. This recognition is thoroughly deserved.Jonny Pearson, Vice Principal