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Borders College and Heriot-Watt University Borders
Campus
A members' business
debate on motion S2M-5146, in the name of Jeremy Purvis, on the pioneering
co-location of Borders
College and Heriot-Watt University Borders campus.
The
Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman):
The final item of business is a members' business debate on motion
S2M-5146, in the name of Jeremy Purvis, on the pioneering co-location of
Borders College and Heriot-Watt University Borders campus. The debate
will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament welcomes the signing of the ground-breaking
co-location agreement, on Friday 17 November 2006, between Borders
College and Heriot Watt University to bring about a combined further and
higher education campus in the Borders at Netherdale in Galashiels;
recalls the concerns about the proposed relocation of the School of
Textiles and Design by the university from the Borders campus to
Edinburgh in 2004 but congratulates the group established to work with
the university in successfully retaining the internationally renowned
school at the Borders campus, and welcomes the extensive funding package
from the Scottish Executive and EU structural funds, totalling £27.7
million for the redevelopment of the campus and a further £3.7 million
being granted to fund a new community college in Hawick, to provide
state-of-the-art learning facilities for the Borders and establish a
"university college" model and creative, world-class learning
facilities.
Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD):
It is a pleasure to ask the Parliament to recognise the historic
agreement that has been reached between Borders College and Heriot-Watt
University to develop the Borders campus, a university college of the
Borders.
The campus will house the base of further and higher education in the
Borders. Development will begin on site soon thanks to the unprecedented
provision by the Scottish Executive of almost £30 million in funding and
the receipt of European Union structural funds. The new facilities,
shared buildings and resources are to be matched with shared learning
ambitions.
With Heriot-Watt University's world-class school of textiles and design
and the outstanding Borders College, which received one of the best-ever
inspector's reports for a further education institution, the ambition is
the same: to create in the heart of the Borders a confident, vibrant,
enterprising and innovative learning environment of the highest quality.
There should be no other ambition for the Borders. I am sure that my
colleague Euan Robson will talk about the exciting developments in
Hawick, where, earlier this month, I had the pleasure of seeing the
outline plans of the agreement between the university and college for
the new community college in the town.
Early in 2004, I was informed that Heriot-Watt University's management
had proposed to move the school of textiles and design from the Borders
to its Riccarton campus. There was no doubt that its proposal was wrong,
and I put together a group and chaired 20 meetings to work up an
alternative that would persuade Heriot-Watt to change its mind. The
campaign group was made up predominantly of Scottish Borders new ways
partners, including David Parker and his team at Scottish Borders
Council; David Gass and his team at Scottish Enterprise Borders; Peter
Lee and Laurence Cox of Eildon Housing Association; and the chairman of
NHS Borders, Tony Taylor, who has extensive experience in the textile
industry. They all worked seamlessly to put together a case that would
make Heriot-Watt change its mind, and I will never forget the day that I
presented that case to the court of Heriot-Watt University.
I hope that members appreciate the contribution that graduates from
Galashiels have made to the world's textile industry. The world's best
suits are cut by college graduates and use some of the best cloth in the
world, from either Lochcarron in Selkirk or Holland & Sherry in Peebles.
I have had the honour of opening the retrospective of Bernat Klein, who
in the 1950s and 1960s transformed textile designs. No international
catwalk bearing clothes of the highest quality would be without Borders
cloth that has been knitted or woven in Galashiels and elsewhere in the
Borders.
However, students need proper, top-quality facilities. As a result,
under the exciting proposals that we are debating, not only the main
campus but the residences will be redeveloped.
The new home of Borders College will sit alongside this world-class
textiles institution. Although we have outstanding schools and pupils in
the Borders, many of our young people leave the area after school. Of
course, that in itself is not a bad thing. However, our challenge is to
create an economic environment that attracts people back to the area
after they leave higher education.
The investment in the college will mean much better facilities for young
people, especially those who have left school to take up employment and
who want to return to undertake further learning or training. Of course,
that will be important for people such as young parents, those without a
car or those who cannot travel regularly who wish to matriculate to
higher education but do not want to go to Edinburgh.
The university campus of the Borders model gives Borders College the
opportunity to forge deeper relationships with other higher education
providers for the Borders and to develop a range of degree courses that
could be delivered alongside further education qualifications. That is
an ambition of Liz McIntyre, the new principal, and Suzanne Dawson, the
new chair, who will develop further the legacy of Bob Murray, who
retired last year as principal.
The record level of investment for the Borders campus, combined with the
secure retention of the school of textiles and design in the Borders for
years to come, means not only that we will have first-class facilities
but that provision and the types of courses available will be widened
and that the relationship between higher, further and secondary
education will be deepened. I hope that all members in the Parliament
will agree that what is being done in the Borders is indeed the right
thing.
Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP):
I congratulate Jeremy Purvis on securing the debate. The joint campus
initiative has been on the go for years and I applaud the tenacity of
Borders College, Heriot-Watt University and others in achieving it.
I recall the threat of Heriot-Watt University pulling out altogether.
The Borders campus was not in favour and the university was going to
centralise everything at the Riccarton campus, which would have dealt a
deadly blow to the process. I confess a family connection, as my niece
attended the then school of textiles at the Borders campus.
The joint campus will mean shared services, which has implications for
staffing. I have been advised that, because those implications were
anticipated, there are many temporary posts in line and natural wastage
— I do not like that term — will mean that there should be no
redundancies. Of course, if we take away administrators, more money is
diverted from administration to front-line educational purposes, which
is good. Those matters are being investigated now.
Hawick has its new community college, and Borders College is working in
tandem with Hawick high school. That alleviates the fears from not so
long ago that Hawick would lose any college and that everything would be
centralised in Galashiels.
The campus will be a modern learning centre, with teaching rooms for
business, information technology and construction skills. Those
facilities are badly needed, not only in the Borders but elsewhere.
The Borders construction forum is engaged in the project, but it is also
engaged in the construction of the buildings themselves. I hope that not
only the existence of the joint campus, but the building of it, will
bring business and work to the Borders. Apparently, the main contract at
Netherdale has been split into smaller contracts of £1 million to £3
million that will have a bias — if I may use that word — in favour of
local companies because, I understand, they currently fall below the
threshold for contracts that must be put out to competitive tender in
the Official Journal of the European Union.
The campus is good news for the Borders. It will be a key employer and
an asset to the Borders economy, which should not only survive but
develop. Jeremy Purvis delivered his speech with his usual modesty, but
I look forward to cutting the opening ribbon of the joint campus in
October 2008 as the member for Tweeddale, Ettrick, Lauderdale and
Penicuik.
Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green):
I, too, congratulate Jeremy Purvis on securing the debate, and on the
way in which he introduced the subject with the customary modesty for
which he is renowned.
I welcome the opportunity to debate the state of further and higher
education in the Borders. The co-location of Borders College of further
education and Heriot-Watt University has been a controversial marriage,
which has not been without its critics.
Under the current co-location scheme, Borders College and Heriot-Watt
will share a further education and university campus at Netherdale in
Gala, with Borders College bringing most of its further education
provision under one roof. Members will appreciate that the further
education college is the sole further education college and major
provider of training in the Scottish Borders. It operates from six
sites, including Galashiels, Hawick, Duns, Newton St Boswells and
Peebles. Around 10,000 students enrol for a wide variety of courses and
programmes to higher national diploma level and beyond. Importantly, the
courses and programmes are particularly in subject areas that allow
graduates to find employment opportunities in their local area. The
college has worked closely with the local enterprise company to shape
its curriculum to the local labour market. There is an important link
between local education provision, employment opportunities and the
vitality of our Borders community.
I hesitate — but only briefly — to raise a couple of issues of concern.
There is a concern that, following co-location, both institutions will
not be able to maintain their autonomy and their identity as independent
institutions. The college and the university are putting a brave face on
it, saying that they will operate independently — but how likely is that
if funding continues to be squeezed and the pressures for amalgamation
continue? We will have to watch out for that.
The other concern is that the investment at Netherdale, although most
welcome, represents a centralisation of facilities. One person's
co-location is another person's condensation and amalgamation. The
co-location scheme will see the Borders College's presence in Hawick
slimmed down. That is deeply unfortunate when there is a continuing
centralising of services in central Borders — in Galashiels — and a
continuing movement of services and investment away from Hawick.
I seek assurances from the minister that funding for further and higher
education in the Borders and other rural areas will not be subject to
cutbacks. The future of those communities depends on their young people
being provided with educational opportunities close to where they grew
up, work and live.
Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (Sol):
I congratulate Jeremy Purvis on securing this debate this afternoon. The
co-location agreement is to be welcomed; it secures further education in
the Borders. However, like Chris Ballance, I hope that access to further
education throughout the Borders will be maintained and that resources
will be provided to allow the college to keep its identity separate from
that of the university. Access to education should be available to
people of any age, including pensioners. That is useful for employment
and for other reasons.
Securing the school of textiles and design in Galashiels has been an
achievement. I hope that the co-location agreement will further secure
the school's future in Galashiels. Chris Ballance talked about
Galashiels getting a lot and other areas in the Borders missing out. I
hope that we will be able to secure something for other areas in future.
It is good news that Hawick will get funding for its college.
The knock-on effect on the local economy could be good. We must ensure
that we safeguard existing lecturing and administrative jobs and so on.
We must not diminish what already exists in the area. The funding for
the Hawick campus and the increase in the number of students should have
a knock-on effect on jobs in those communities. Importantly, it will
mean that those communities are noticed further afield. When good
education is available in an area, it tends to help make that area more
vibrant. I hope that that is what happens in the Borders.
Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con):
The broader issue is the learning opportunities that we provide in the
Borders, not only to our young people but to the whole community. Jeremy
Purvis was right to talk about the significant number of people who will
leave the area to pursue further and higher education. That is to some
extent a natural function of growing up, but I sense an increasing trend
— through choice or necessity — towards studying closer to home. That
trend presents opportunities, which we should not be afraid to grasp, to
expand education provision to those who might not be able to take
advantage of it in their immediate post-school years. The projects being
undertaken represent some great opportunities.
Chris Ballance talked about the tension — that might be putting it too
strongly — between Gala and Hawick. There is a sense of imbalance
there—perhaps Euan Robson will talk about that in more depth. The
regeneration of Hawick, which we all realise is fundamentally important,
is a much broader and deeper issue than can be solved simply by
education facilities. Over the
past 10 years, Galashiels has changed from being a place where almost
every house was for sale or to let to one that is positively booming —
although that is creating its own problems for local people. The change
has been driven by a number of factors. Regeneration throughout the
Borders should be viewed quite broadly.
Others have talked about the significance of the textile industry to the
Borders. There has been an undeniable decline in the relative importance
of textiles, given the number of people employed in it, but it is an
important niche for the Borders, particularly if we capture the
higher-value end of the market. Securing the textiles faculty at
Galashiels is important in that regard.
The co-location will be a great achievement for the Borders when it is
realised. We must not underestimate the importance of providing
educational opportunities locally. It is a great achievement for
Heriot-Watt University and Borders College.
Euan Robson (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (LD):
We have come a long way from the worrying and somewhat dismal prospects
of 2003. I vividly recall a range of meetings, both public and private,
before and after the most recent elections to the Parliament, in which
we had to argue vigorously the case for the Borders — not only for
Galashiels but for Hawick. At one stage, it looked as if the college
would be entirely centralised in Galashiels and that Heriot-Watt would
move the school of textiles and design to Riccarton. I am pleased to say
that wiser counsel prevailed.
I want to concentrate my remarks on Hawick. The process of obtaining
agreement for the new building, which I cannot mention in this public
forum, is being considered by one of the agencies today, and will be
considered by another later this month. However, suffice it to say that
the £3.7 million investment is a major step forward, given that we were
looking at closure.
It is clear that the community college in Hawick will be a state of the
art facility, which will offer a range of vocational courses. It is
important that a close link will be established between the college and
Hawick high school, which, when I was involved in the Education
Department, I was pleased to see being one of the first schools in
Scotland to be awarded school of ambition status.
The Henderson building, which will be left behind, will present a fine
redevelopment opportunity for the town, as it is in a key commercial
location. I am sure that Scottish Enterprise Borders, the council and
others will endeavour to attract new business to the area — I certainly
will. Much has been said about the prospects for the textiles industry.
Those who say that it is gone and finished are not correct. It is
particularly important to note the recent investment by Hawick Cashmere
and the launch of a new collection.
Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP):
I congratulate Jeremy Purvis on securing the debate and the Deputy
Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning on his
stamina, as he has gone through a robust stage 3 and remained to respond
to the debate. I declare an interest as a member of the colloquium of
Heriot-Watt University and as a former postgraduate student at the
Scottish College of Textiles.
I am delighted with the progress that is being made at Netherdale, as
Galashiels is a fantastic place to study. I was there many years ago,
but I can say that it has a special feel to it for students. The
relationship between the town and the students is healthy. I was
impressed by the talent, expertise, energy and sheer spirit in
Galashiels and by the contribution that the college made — I know that
that is still the case. I studied business studies, but I was conversant
with the issues and concerns that faced the hard-working textiles and
design students. The fashion show that the school and Heriot-Watt
University put on is certainly the highlight of the year. I urge anyone
who receives an invitation to go, because it is a showcase for Scotland
and for the students.
Derek Brownlee talked about families. We must reflect — and I hope that
the minister will — on the fact that we have a strong Scottish
qualifications and credit framework. One of the ideas about the
articulation between colleges and universities is that, for those who
come from deprived backgrounds and did not have a chance to access
university, sometimes a further education college provides a foot in the
door. Many of those who worked for the textiles companies that have now
unfortunately gone are older women and I would like them to have the
opportunity to come back into education through the further education
college and then perhaps to move seamlessly on through the education
system, perhaps achieving degrees with Heriot-Watt University. Christine
Grahame talked about the articulation with the qualifications framework.
The new campus is an interesting model — many of us will want to
consider and examine its progress in years to come.
The Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning (Allan Wilson):
I, too, congratulate Jeremy Purvis on his success in gaining this debate
and on the characteristically modest and fashionable way in which he has
conducted himself.
The economy of the Scottish Borders continues to flourish, despite some
setbacks. It has one of the highest performing labour markets in
Scotland. A statistic that I did not know until today — so that is
another success for Jeremy Purvis — is that the population of the
Borders has increased by nearly 110,000 in the last 10 years. We all
know that the area is beautiful and scenic, so I can easily understand
why so many folk are proud to call themselves Borderers.
No area is immune from the consequences of economic change, of course,
and there have been a number of redundancies in the news recently. That
is always regrettable. However, the best way to help people regain
employment — and everything that goes with employment — is to have a
buoyant economy and a buoyant labour market. I cannot think of any
better way of doing that than by investing in a knowledge-based economy
that is not susceptible to the magnet effect of cheaper labour. In that
context, the point that Fiona Hyslop made about sub-degree
qualifications is important, because that is one of the routes by which
we can attract people — not only women, as was mentioned, but people
whose experience of the traditional education system has not been great
— back into learning in order that they might get the qualifications and
skills that are necessary to compete in the changing economy.
That is not to say that the Borders has not been successful with regard
to the labour market. Unemployment in the region is now only 1.7 per
cent, which is significantly lower than the Scottish average of less
than 3 per cent. The number of people who own their own business is
almost double the Scottish average. It is against that positive economic
background that we see this groundbreaking collaborative venture between
Borders College and Heriot-Watt University.
In the college sector alone, we are now seeing nothing less than the
complete regeneration of the estate — I see that in every college that I
go to across Scotland. New college buildings, sometimes whole new
campuses and new state-of-the-art facilities have been completed, with
many more to follow at Dundee College, Telford College, Langside
College, Stevenson College — which I visited last week — Motherwell
College, John Wheatley College, North Glasgow College, Jewel and Esk
Valley College. The list of colleges that have been or are being
transformed into world class learning facilities seems endless. All that
work is encouraging people to return to learning and to help us build
that knowledge-based economy.
The Executive is continuing to provide record resources to help all that
take place with, for example, no less than £150 million being allocated
to modernise the learning and teaching infrastructure in the higher
education sector over the three years to 2007-08. I had a quiet chuckle
to myself when Chris Ballance asked how we could guarantee that
investment. I say to him that I can guarantee it for as long as the
Liberal Democrats and Labour are in power. However, I hope that we would
not give any succour to nationalist extravagance in that regard. The
£1.7 billion that it would cost to write off student debt is 10 times
the total capital allocation that I mentioned. I would not encourage
Chris Ballance along that route.
Scotland's history has shown that, when people leave — or have to leave
— our rural areas to continue their education, they often do not come
back. Derek Brownlee talked about that. Those young people leave because
of a lack of opportunities and facilities and because — if I dare say it
— in the past, Governments have lacked the commitment to stem that tide.
However,
this Executive does not lack that commitment. We have stemmed that tide
and we see opportunities for all in the modern Borders.
That is why, for example, we continue to work with the UHI Millennium
Institute, which is continuing to expand and develop higher education
opportunities in the north of Scotland to support its ambitions for
university title and it is why we have actively supported the
development of the Crichton campus, bringing higher education to the
people of the south-west
of Scotland. It is also why I am delighted, this afternoon, to welcome
what I am certain will be seen as a showpiece development that will
bring a completely new approach to the delivery of learning. It will
deliver unprecedented opportunities, allowing people to access locally a
wide range of subject areas. Further, it will be a key driver of
progression — not merger — between college and university.
It is not only in Galashiels that we see such developments, although I
look forward to visiting Galashiels in due course to see another good
example — the Scottish manufacturing advisory service, which helps to
drive forward the manufacturing sector. For a moment, however, I move
our focus slightly further down the A7 and highlight the complementary
development in Hawick, which will bring an entirely new community
college to the town.
Hawick, too, has had its share of challenges in years gone by, so I
welcome Borders College's plan to build an entirely new community
college in the town, which is clear evidence of a strong commitment to
Hawick. The new college will help to meet the needs of learners and it
will be a focus for skills development, which is important in
encouraging parity of esteem between vocational education and training
and academic routes into employment. I believe that the new college will
be an important instrument in the continuing regeneration of the town.
I congratulate Jeremy Purvis again on securing this debate, which
heralds the start of an exciting period for learners in the Scottish
Borders. I commend the motion to everyone in the chamber and wish them
well in the weeks, months and years to come.
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