Published Date: Oct 27th, 2023
Colleges and universities in the Tay Cities region, and Edinburgh and South East Scotland region have joined forces to deliver the Data Education in Colleges programme.
Data Education in Colleges, part of the Data Skills Gateway programme, has been running across colleges within the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal for three years. Following its success, the programme is now being rolled out to include colleges in the Tay Cities region.
The partnership comes as part the Tay Cities Region Deal Digital Skills Project, delivering training for colleges and universities in the Tay Cities Region Deal.
Funded by the Scottish Government, the £1.5 million Tay Cities Region Digital Skills Project has allocated over £400,000, over the next two years, to developing innovative, industry led curriculum development, creating an unrivalled talent pool across the region.
Launching in October, a specific Professional Development Programme has been co-designed for college lecturers and teaching staff to stay up to date with the latest technological advancements and integrate them into the college curriculum.
As part of the Professional Learning Programme, college staff at Borders, Dundee & Angus, Edinburgh, Fife, Perth, and West Lothian Colleges will develop new skills and enhance the existing curriculum by participating in digital and data skills sessions.
David Hiddleston, Programme Manager for Data Education in Colleges said: “Together, Data Skills Gateway and the Tay Cities Digital Skills programme are driving innovation in education, equipping college staff to shape tomorrow's curriculum.”
Councillor Altany Craik, Fife Council spokesperson for Finance, Economy and Strategic Planning said: “The investment into this joint programme from the Tay Cities Region Deal Digital Skills Project echoes our commitment to bridging the digital skills gap. In an increasingly data-driven economy, this collaboration will provide innovative learning opportunities and employment options for people in Fife.”
Councillor Grant Laing, Chair of the Tay Cities Region Deal Joint Committee said: ‘Colleges are at the heart of addressing Scotland's current skills gap and are committed to evolving their course offerings to meet the demands of the future. By collaborating with the Data for Colleges programme, we foster greater cooperation and the exchange of best practices within the college sector, ensuring that our education system remains agile and responsive to the evolving needs of our workforce.”
To find the full list of courses available, please visit: Professional Learning Programme – Data Education in Colleges (datacolleges.education)
