Colleges Scotland has launched its 2026 Election Manifesto urging all political parties to commit to long-term, sustainable investment in Scotland’s colleges ahead of the Scottish Parliament election.
The college sector manifesto, Opportunity That Works, details three sets of priorities for the next Scottish Government which, if delivered, it says would secure colleges as Scotland’s skills engines, as enhanced community anchors, and be in a sustainable and equitable funding position.
The ‘skills engines ‘priority seeks endorsement of the following:
- A ‘Colleges First’ approach to regional skills planning, as the key skills partners of Regional Economic Partnerships.
- Colleges become the lead providers of apprenticeships in this new system, delivering an additional 10,000 Modern Apprenticeships.
- A new Flexible Workforce Development Fund 2.0, to give employers access to low-cost training and upskilling opportunities for their workforce.
STF Chief Executive, Stuart McKenna, said: ‘Giving colleges a greater role in the delivery and management of Modern Apprenticeships does not make sense. Colleges have significantly lower achievement rates, offer fewer frameworks and are more expensive than independent training providers and employers.’
He continued: ‘It’s clear that colleges want to seize control of the Modern Apprenticeship budget to plug gaps in other budgets. A ‘college first’ approach will simply result in an increase in costs, a reduction in learner and employer choice, and a steep fall in apprentice achievements rates.’
