Visit showcases college successes

As one of his first official duties in his new role, John Swinney was welcomed by principal Dr Ken Thomson and his management team before touring the college’s state-of-the-art engineering and oil and gas training workshops, as well as the life sciences facilities. All had recently been transformed in a £1.2 million refurbishmen

Mr Swinney, said: “Colleges are vital to Scotland’s success and the number of full-time students has grown as we have exceeded our commitment to maintain student places.

“By placing more emphasis on full-time courses that lead to employment, colleges are improving the life chances for all students, generating a well-trained, highly skilled workforce to deliver economic growth.”

Dr Thomson, said: “This visit is also a great endorsement of our excellent recent Education Scotland

report where we scored top marks in many areas.”