The College Development Network will set out to commission “thought leadership” and original research to help equip the Scottish college sector for the future.

Speaking to Tes this week, CDN chief executive Jim Metcalfe said that as the organisation consulted on its strategy, the feedback that came had been that there was a “lack of national thought leadership and research capability within the college sector”.

The new approach is part of the organisation’s new strategic plan, which states that it will "coordinate partnerships to deliver national collaborative projects and action-based enquiries, harnessing the expertise in Scotland’s colleges”.

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Main outcomes 

CDN will also “commission original joint research to analyse what works in technical education across the UK and internationally and map it to the Scottish context, to drive enhancement and help prepare for the future,” the plan goes on to say.

It also says CDN will expand its programme of leadership colleague exchanges across the four nations, working in partnership with sister agencies, facilitate ongoing consideration with colleges and the sector’s partners of more robust, data-led performance indicators for colleges, and continue to play “an active and collaborative role in the College Quality Partnership Group, cultivating data-led activity to enhance student success”.

This, Mr Metcalfe said, was particularly important in light of the Scottish Funding Council’s review of further and higher education in Scotland, and the changing needs of both education and the economy post-Covid-19.

“All our thinking is now geared to the outcome agreements, it is not geared to creative thinking.” The organisation planned to undertake about three or four projects in this area per year, he said.

The funding to be made available for research and collaborative projects was limited, he stressed, and the work would be supported by Grant Ritchie, former principal of Dundee and Angus College, who has been appointed a CDN fellow and associate director.

Announcing the appointment, Mr Metcalfe said Mr Ritchie’s “incredible knowledge and experience of the college sector will be invaluable to our innovative future plans, particularly as we grow CDN practical research and thought leadership initiatives in the coming years.”

CDN’s strategic plan sets out five main outcomes for the coming years:

• Outcome 1: “We will enable the development of a highly skilled and adaptable college workforce.”
• Outcome 2: “Through programmes of collaborative research and enquiry we will drive the enhancement of college performance and student success.”
• Outcome 3: We will work with colleges to strengthen their connection with regional economies and heighten their national and international impact, through the promotion of success and innovation.
• Outcome 4: We will work with our partners to enable colleges to become leaders in tackling the climate emergency and promoting inclusive colleges with student and staff wellbeing at their centres.
• Outcome 5: We will promote continuous improvement in our business performance.