Colleges must escape 'survival mode' to reach full potential

The Herald Scotland

13 hours ago

Prof Little, Digital Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Stirling, is a Futurist, someone who studies and prepares for the future.
He said that Scotland's colleges could benefit from adopting this strategic perspective.
'Futurism is not about prediction, as there are no facts in the future. Instead, it is fundamentally all about preparation for possible futures.
'Futurism involves looking for signals of the future, identifying patterns, trends, and drivers. Then, exploring a range of possible futures that those elements may evolve into.
'Then planning for them.'
He wrote that the economic landscape is changing rapidly, and innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies are speeding up that evolution.
'Back in 2022, to an audience of Scottish skills educators and administrators, I cited a statistic suggesting that '85% of jobs that will exist in 2030 haven't been invented yet.''
In his report, he argued that colleges are best placed to be the source of learning for these future jobs, but identified several issues that he believes are holding colleges back, including a reduction in public investment, uneven engagement with businesses, unclear priorities from the Scottish Government, and little room for talk about colleges in discussions about higher education funding.
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He added that Scotland could face further challenges, including student dropout rates caused by rising mental health issues in young people and an increase in demand for additional support needs (ASN) across the country.
Looking to the future, Prof Little argued that colleges in Scotland could become 'world-class' in vocational and technical education.
Professor Joe Little, Digital Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Stirling, has written a new report calling for Scotland's colleges to be at the heart of future skills education. (Image: Prof Joe Little)
In order to do so, he recommended that 'as much support as possible is afforded to Scotland's colleges politically, and that colleges work together closely, to achieve success and economies of scale in delivering results for students and society.
'Colleges have always played a vital role in Scottish civic life, and there is a bright future for Scotland's colleges if far more strategic ambition is put towards their success.'
He wrote that the current 24 college structure leaves most colleges 'struggling to survive year-on-year' and 'almost no reward for innovation and commercial entrepreneurship within the institutions".
'My view is that a new model is needed for Scotland that will deal directly with the issues constraining the 24 colleges and provide a more hopeful future for the sector and indeed move from 'survival mode' to recognised as 'world-class.''
Writing exclusively for The Herald following the publication of his report, Prof Little said that urgent changes are needed for Scotland's colleges to take advantage of the opportunities he has highlighted.
'It starts with colleges being at the heart of government priorities – priorities which are set in consultation with employers to help connect what the economy needs to the education and training on offer.
'Countries that are doing well at providing great vocational training are often funding their colleges from their Economy portfolio, or equivalent departments. This instantly clarifies that colleges provide skilled workers who add to economic growth and enhance national prosperity.'
Prof Little argued that Scotland's colleges have a chance to escape 'survival mode.'
'To do this, colleges need greater and more stable investment and stronger recognition politically for the work they do for individuals, families, employers and communities. The economic and social impact of colleges should also be much more highly recognised.
'I'm clear this future should include colleges at the heart of a world-class technical vocational education and training system in Scotland.'
The Scottish Government has recognised the importance of skills training, and there are potential changes in the works for further education, particularly in terms of the funding structure.
The Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill being considered by the Scottish Parliament could see funding for national training programmes and apprenticeships consolidated within a redesigned Scottish Funding Council.
Official statistics published by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) showed a record number of vocational and technical qualifications and awards in 2025. The total of 110,380 represents a 22.6% increase compared to 2024.
In response to Prof Little's report, a Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Colleges play a vital role which is why we have provided an uplift in funding for the sector in this year's budget.
'The Scottish Government accepts the premise of the key provisions set out in the independent review of skills delivery by James Withers, and work is underway to take forward the Post-School Education and Skills Reform Programme.
'We are clear about the importance and status of vocational pathways and it is very positive that the number of passes in vocational and technical qualifications reached a record high in this year's exam results.