Financial support welcomed by college sector in Scotland

The announcement of the Return to Work funding package was made on Tuesday, June 16, by finance secretary Kate Forbes and was praised by Shona Struthers, the chief executive of Colleges Scotland.

Ms Struthers said: “This is a welcome announcement by the Scottish Government, which will benefit many sectors across the country and provide much needed support to help stimulate an economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As in previous recessions, the college sector will have a vital role in driving economic recovery as well as continuing to deliver on social inclusion, and significant additional investment for digitisation would have an extremely positive impact by reducing the risk of students suffering through digital exclusion.

“Colleges can quickly reskill, upskill and provide essential employability skills to people of all ages while providing critical aid for SMEs and priority skill sectors by driving a regional skills-led recovery, and additional investment from Scottish Government would maximise the sector’s positive impact on the economic and social recovery from the pandemic.

“We look forward to working through the details of this announcement with Scottish Government and its agencies and collaborating with them and the wider tertiary sector to galvanise Scotland’s social and economic revival.”

In her original announcement, Ms Forbes said: “The impact of Covid-19 has been enormous on both businesses and individuals and the Scottish Government has so far spent more than £4 billion tackling its effects.

“We are also taking steps to accelerate our economic recovery and this package ensures that we can make immediate use of money which, because of the pandemic, might otherwise not have been spent this year.

“I do not underestimate the challenges we face but I also see opportunities. It is important we take this chance to reshape our economy in a way that works for everyone and promotes long-term growth, not just quick fixes.

“This £230m delivers investment across Scotland and will boost the green recovery, speed up digitisation and bolster construction, supporting hundreds of jobs.

“The Return to Work package is part of a process to harness Scotland’s talent and resources and build a modern economy that is robust, fair and sustainable. But it is only a start. Larger programmes will follow and I will continue pressing the UK Government both for new financial powers and greater certainty over funding.

“These additional powers are now absolutely essential – without them Scotland will be planning for recovery with one hand tied behind our back.”