Glasgow Colleges Regional Board relaunched with new strategy

Shirley-Anne Somerville at Glasgow Regional Colleges Board launch - Glasgow Kelvin College

Glasgow has launched a new regional strategy for college education in the city.

 The Glasgow Colleges Regional Board (GCRB) has published its new strategic plan for how to coordinate the work of City of Glasgow College, Glasgow Clyde College and Glasgow Kelvin College, linking courses with businesses in the city.

The document represents as a reboot for the organisation, which has been plagued by high-profile resignations and rows over pay rises.

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The board was set up as part of the Scottish Government’s reform of the college sector which merged colleges into regional public bodies.

The Glasgow colleges became three separate bodies to be overseen by the GCRB from 2015, but the Scottish Funding Council launched an investigation after an internal row saw two members resign citing differences with its then chair Henry McLeish, who followed them out of the door weeks later.

This year Education Secretary John Swinney intervened to block a £14,000 pay rise for executive director Robin Ashton.

The new strategy lays out a “city-wide curriculum” to “create seamless pathways between schools, colleges, universities and employers”.

It pledges to “strengthen relationships” with councils, schools and agencies.

Speaking at the launch at Kelvin College’s East End Campus, further education minister Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Improving education and life chances is the defining mission of this government and Glasgow’s regional approach will help build careers and contribute to Scotland’s modern, successful, dynamic economy.”