South East Forum News

High Flyers 2010

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:24:56 +0000

The fourth High Flyers residential week took place on Monday 7th June - Thursday 10th June and was attended by 34 pupils from Wester Hailes Education Centre, Craigroyston Community High School and Castlebrae Community High School and Inveralmond Community High School,some of the schools with the lowest progression rates to higher education across the South East.

The pupils stayed in student accommodation at Heriot Watt University, and the programme included a wide range of workshops in Heriot Watt and other LEAPS partner universities, Edinburgh, Queen Margaret and Edinburgh Napier.

High Flyers is for pupils who have just started 5th year and is designed to provide an insight into what studying at university is like, offer that little bit of extra support to help motivate young people within these schools and give them the confidence to achieve their academic potential. The benefit of the programme is that the four schools come together and they create their own larger and wider support network, while at the same time creating a core leadership group within each school.

"Over the four days the pupils begin to bond and gain confidence and at the end take part in group presentations to their peers and parents and demonstrate what they have learnt. I continue to support the pupils in their schools for the rest of their school career and build on what High Flyers starts. It is a really important and valuable part of my work, the pupils get a lot from it and I really enjoy it!" Roy Crichton, Project Officer.

Watch the clip to find out what two pupils from Wester Hailes Education Centre thought of their High Flyers event.

'Breaking New Ground'

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:38:55 +0000

Helen’s journey began in 2005 when she enrolled on the SWAP access programme at Stevenson College.

SWAP East had just negotiated an agreement with ECA whereby students on Access to Humanities programmes would be considered for entry to their Landscape Architecture degree course. Helen was delighted to discover that such a thing existed - an access programme that would set her on a path towards her chosen profession.

Access to Landscape Architecture is just one of the options available to SWAP Humanities students. Some biology and art portfolio work are added to the normal range of subjects in the one-year Humanities programme, making a fast route for adults who do not have the usual entry requirements, into the only Landscape Architecture degree course in the country.

Helen found the access programme both challenging and interesting.

“My art skills were nil when I embarked on this course, but Wider Access Advisor, Antonia Palmer, from Edinburgh College of Art, invited me to meet her and talk through what I needed to do for the portfolio. She also enrolled me on a 10-week portfolio building course at the College of Art and was available to give advice. My tutors at Stevenson College were also very helpful.”

Five years on, Helen has produced a stunning degree show and is about to launch her new career. She shouldn’t have long to wait – even in the current economic climate, employment prospects in Landscape Architecture continue to be good.

Access To Industry student 'Living the Dream'

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:21:47 +0000

John began working with Access to Industry (AI) in April last year when he took on the role of volunteer on AI’s Access Media course. Having always had a big interest in the media, John applied to Edinburgh’s Napier University to study television. John had been keeping an eye on the recruitment market in the field of film and television and discovered that he would need a degree to ensure a better chance of starting at the bottom rung of the industry.

John is delighted he has been accepted on to the course and is looking forward to starting it immensely not least because it will give him a chance to enter Scottish Screen’s NETS (Creative Scotland – New Entrants Training Programme) course which around 25,000 people apply for but offers only 8 places per year.

After completing his degree, John is planning to complete a Masters at the Screen Academy at Edinburgh’s Napier University. He feels he is now “living the dream”!

Find out more about John's journey

Borders students complete the 13th Prepare to Care course

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:15:59 +0000

The successful students have gained an SQA module at Intermediate Level 1 and will have the opportunity to undertake a work placement with Care Home employers within the local community.

Some of the students from the Hawick course are aiming to move on to further study at Borders College. Others are planning to undertake the ‘We Care’ pre-employment course, delivered in Selkirk by Access to Industry in partnership with NHS Borders, BC Consultants, and Scottish Borders Council. Two of the students have already secured jobs, one of which is a direct result of undertaking the course.

Find out more about this successful course

Forth Valley Development Officer Vacancy

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:30:07 +0000

As part of the Scottish Funding Council's Schools for Higher Education Programme the South East Forum are funding a programme of delivery across 19 schools in Edinburgh, Lothians, the Scottish Borders and Forth Valley. This post will focus delivery on target schools in Forth Valley. It will be supported by an integrated team based at the University of Edinburgh and by staff within the University of Stirling and Forth Valley College. You will work with schools, careers advisory, college, university staff and student volunteers, to promote and facilitate equal access to higher education by young people in South East Scotland. This post is available for one year up to July 2011 in the first instance.

The appointment and contract will be held under employment conditions of the University of Edinburgh.

Further details are available by contacting Ged Lerpiniere, ged.lerpiniere@ed.ac.uk

For Further details and to apply for this post

Access To Industry win Kids Count Director's Award

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:45:53 +0000

The Kids Count Inspiration Awards recognises those individuals, young and old, and organisations that have been responsible for inspiring young people in their communities. Passport is an accredited employability programme providing support for young people moving on from care and prison, working in partnership with Edinburgh City Council’s Through Care and Aftercare department, and with Polmont Y.O.I. This project is unique as it displays innovation, creativity, commitment and passion to ensure a structured, quality one-to-one service for young people.

Read the full Access To Industry & Kids Count award article

Learn more about the work that Access To Industry delivers with community based adult learners on the South East Forum's behalf.

South East Forum Conference

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:29:07 +0000

The purpose of the conference was to share the changes in our work with schools to a focus on HE and put some of the current changes around Curriculum for Excellence and 16+ Learning Choices into context and look at, what this means for the young people that we support; explore how can we work in partnership, share knowledge, align our work and how we can add value to what is being delivered?

Presentations and a summary of the workshop themes and actions are now available to download

Workshops took place in the afternoon on the following topics where groups were asked to consider actions that the South East Forum could take forward, actions for the sector or actions for any individuals.

South East Forum 2008/09 Annual Report

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:31:54 +0000

The impact at a glance

• SWAP- East recruited 426 students in 2008/09 with 82% of students progressing on to university
• 680 learners participated in an Access to Industry programme in 2008/09 with 60% achieving positive outcomes such as moving onto FE, HE, training and employment.
• Across the South East 17 out of the 19 priority schools who took part in S2-S6 activities demonstrated a positive change in their progression to Higher Education over a 4 year period. 13 of these schools also demonstrated an increase in their S5 staying on rates.

The Full 2008/09 South East Forum Annual Report

Scottish Wider Access Programmes celebrate 21 years

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:59:26 +0000

Take for example the Access to Languages course at Stevenson College Edinburgh, which has been running since 1994. Dieca Cumming, the course organiser, tells us why it has been so successful: -

“Access students are usually mature and motivated, but many come with fears about their ability to succeed. Part of our job is to help them to develop their confidence by providing them with study skills and strategies that will improve the way they approach their learning. In many cases it is also a question of showing them how they can adapt skills they have acquired in their past life to the new challenge of academic study.

… In all my years running this course I have met a great number of students, all very different people from different walks of life. I have realized that EVERYBODY is capable of achieving their goals. Showing them that we believe in them helps them also to believe in themselves. Our job as lecturers and tutors in the course is to help them by providing knowledge, support and guidance on how to get there. We equip them to be able to tackle the challenge of higher education. The rest is up to them.”

Dieca’s students have gone on to be highly successful in their own right: she can cite secondary school teachers, translators, PhD and Masters students and even one or two further education lecturers who now teach on access courses!

One of Dieca’s former students is James. Previously a mechanic, a stint of traveling convinced him that he was in the wrong job. He joined the Languages course in August 2007, and is currently studying Spanish at The University of Stirling. He wasn’t interested in school as a kid, and blames this in part on his dyslexia, which was only diagnosed as an adult. He believes that he wouldn’t have survived university without the skills learned on the access course: -

“The access course was tough going, but more than adequately prepared us for our future at uni. The emphasis on study skills, like setting a plan for studying and sticking to it, was essential and still is the most important thing we learned from the access course as there is nobody to tell you or remind you that essays are due at university.”

James is now one of our SWAP Student Ambassadors, and does a lot of good work helping us support current access students at the start of their journey.

Over the years many students have gone on to be highly successful at university, and they believe that their time spent on a SWAP Access course helped them survive. We look forward to supporting many more mature students with the help of Stevenson College and our other partners. Here’s to another 21 years!

Berwickshire Prepares to Care!

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:43:47 +0000

This innovative course is run in partnership between Access to Industry, Borders College, Careers Scotland and Scottish Borders Council Social Work Services and Community Learning and Development on behalf of the South East Forum.

The Prepare to Care course, which is delivered by Borders College, provides students with an understanding of the qualities and skills required by care workers and an awareness of the care sector environment. The aim is to prepare those people in the Scottish Borders who are currently unemployed or have few qualifications, for a new career in the expanding care sector. The course is delivered 3 times a year across the Scottish Borders – Duns, Hawick and Galashiels.

Read full press release

Find more about the programme of work for adults and communities that the South East Forum supports.

Supporting Looked After and Accommodated Young People and Young Offenders

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 10:51:34 +0000

Schools and Residential Care -

Bill Breckinridge Cirriculum Manager at Cumbernauld College provided an overview

of the Scoping Study that a team at Cumbernauld College had been commisioned

to carry out. For more information on the scoping study

Transitions to college and work

Alan Sherry, Assistant Principle of John Wheatley College provided an insightful overview of the Transitions to College and Work pilot that John Wheatley College are doing with funding from the Scottish Funding Council.

Alan's presentation

Working with the Frank Buttle Trust and gaining the Kite Mark

Lesley Stokes, Widening Participation Officer for The University of Edinburgh

provided an overview of the work that they have been doing to

ensure young poeple who have been looked after or incare are supported by the

University.

Lesley's presentation

Find out more about the Frank Buttle Trust

Access To Industry –how they are supporting young offenders

Sian Fiddimore Chief Executive of Access To Industry showed a DVD which

highlighted the work that they have been doing in Polmont Young Offenders

Institute prior and post release which is making a real impact and is about to be

extended to cover the Glasgow area as well as Edinburgh.

Find out more about this work

Routes 2 Success launch interactive website

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:44:03 +0000

The new Routes 2 Success website is designed to be a 'one stop shop' with information for pupils, teachers and parents on making decisions about going to college.

The website features an interactive game called 'about you' which can help young people to make up their mind on what to do when thinking about leaving school. You can also hear from current students about their experiences of college and what their plans for the future are.

Routes 2 Success is one of the programmes funded by the South East Forum to work with young people.

National up-date - review of work with schools

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:48:41 +0000

The Forums were involved in the consultation process before a draft document 'Wider Access Regional Forum'Schools Programmes - the basis for Outcome Agreements' went to the Scottish Funding Council's Access and Inclusion Committee for approval. “Recommendations were agreed by the Committee on 24 Sept 2009. The Committee requested a finalised outcome agreement be presented at its December 2009 meeting.

This recommended that the 4 wider access regional forums align their programmes and focus on increasing access to HE (in college and university) in schools in the lowest quintile. This should build on agreed best practice and provide sustained contact with pupil cohorts from S2-S5/6, targeting those:

with potential to achieve HE entry, but at risk of not achieving this;
achieving, but (who) don’t recognize their potential for progression to HE.

December 2009-August 2010 has been identified as the ‘set up phase’ for change for programme delivery in 2010/11.

To find out more about the current work with schools click here

SCQF Seminar - 12th November 2009

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:31:29 +0000

Audrey McClements from the SCQF spoke about the Scottish Credt and Qualifications Framework and provided examples of organisations that are using the framework to support learners make transitions.

Audrey's presentation

Andrew Comrie, Director of ELRAH provided an up-date on the work of ELRAH (Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders Regional Articulation Hub)

Andrew's presentation

Joan Thomson from the Open University Scotland provided examples of work they have been doing to support articulation with part-time students.

Joan's presentation

4 forums meet with SFC

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:59:35 +0000

The purpose of this meeting will be to focus on the development of the forums' schools programmes, however it will also facilitate closer working between the Scottish Funding Council and the Forums.

New member joins the South East Forum Executive

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:28:05 +0000

SEF Community Consultation

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:01:18 +0000

Yvonne Shaw and Duncan Neish will be the two Consultants leading on the work. This will be a 6 month piece of work which will involve a wide consultation with stakeholders who work with learners in the community across the South East Forum’s area. The consultation will help to guide the future strategy of SEF’s work with communities.

If you are interested in getting invovled in this piece of work then please get in touch as we would be delighted to hear from you: southeastforum@napier.ac.uk

South East Forum Seminar Series

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:12:03 +0000

If you are interested in finding out more about these seminars please get in touch with SEF Communications and Administration Officer.

Minister visits makeover class at Access to Industry

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:30:33 +0000

Access to Industry students proved there are positive opportunities to be gained after moving on from care, prison, substance use and homelessness, when they were visited by Jonathan Shaw MP, Minister for Disabilities on Friday 25 September 2009 in Edinburgh.

The Minister met with staff and Transition students who participate in a daily structure of learning to overcome addiction issues and talked to a group of vulnerable women on the Passport programme who were attending a Hair and Beauty vocational training course delivered in partnership with Jewel and Esk College.

Access To Industry receive 2 prestigious awards from the Scottish Learning Partnership for the 5th year in a row

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:56:28 +0000

For more information download the full press release.

Access to Industry recognises students’ achievements at Certificate Ceremony

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:15:33 +0000

Margaret McLeod from Youthlink Scotland presented a total of 117 students with a staggering 179 qualifications, which had been achieved between February 2009 and June 2009.

New Chair and Vice Chair of SEF elected

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:17:38 +0000

New Executive Group Member

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:20:00 +0000

Issues Around Gender Seminar

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:22:12 +0000

Paula Cleary is author of ‘Motivation and Attainment in the Learner Experience’ (CRLL, July 2007) report commissioned by the West Forum. Kenny Spence is Project Manager of the Men in Childcare project.

Meetings with Chair of Access and Inclusion Committee

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:24:06 +0000

This meeting provided an opportunity to discuss current activity, future aspirations for collaboration and any issues surrounding the forums’ work and how it is structured and managed.

Nominations for South East Forum Chair and Vice Chair

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:29:46 +0000

These positions should be drawn from Forum Council members, with the Council composed of Principals or their representatives from the South East Forum’s 18 partner colleges and HEIs.

South East Forum Annual Report, 2007/8

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:26:00 +0000

A copy of this report can be found on our Reports page.

New Project Manager for Routes 2 Success

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:32:15 +0000

Routes 2 Success is based at Stevenson College Edinburgh to deliver a programme targeted at pupils in S2 and S3.

Access and Inclusion Committee Planning Day

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:31:13 +0000

At this planning day, the types of collaborations needed to deliver on priorities and Learning For All and the work of the wider access regional forums was discussed.

Award Nominations

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:36:09 +0000

New Chief Executive of Access to Industry

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:33:26 +0000

Sian joined Access to Industry in July 2004 and has successfully managed the Transition project, a mini college in the centre of Edinburgh for recovering substance users in collaboration with two local further education providers.

Since 2006 Sian has also managed the Passport programme working in collaboration with Polmont Young Offenders Institution creating a progression pathway to reduce criminal behaviour inside and out in the community.

SWAP-East Tracking Report

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:38:36 +0000

This set out to explore the dynamics of retention among three cohorts of former SWAP-East students. It is based on qualitative and quantitative data from students who enrolled on SWAP courses in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

To view the report, visit our Reports page.

LEAPS Expands to Scottish Borders Schools

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:42:51 +0000

A Project Officer has been recruited to work in the 9 schools in the Borders. LEAPS will phase in activity over the next seven months and a full roll out of the programme will begin in August 2009. An event to introduce LEAPS to Borders Schools has been scheduled for November 26th in the Careers Scotland Offices in Galashiels.

All interested parties have been invited and LEAPS has the full support of Scottish Borders Council.

Read more about LEAPS.

First Meetings of the Forum’s Strategic Advisory Groups

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:45:09 +0000

These groups form part of the Forum’s new structure for delivery for 2008-13, with further information about the role and remit of these groups available from our SEF Organisation page.

Barbara Lawson from Edinburgh’s Telford College is Chair of the Young People and Communities SAG and Wendy MacAdie from Jewel and Esk College, Chair of the Adults and Communities SAG. Minutes of these meetings will be added to the minutes section of this site.

Community Stakeholder Event

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:50:12 +0000

It involved presentations about the work of the Forum, displays by projects working in the south East and fun cafe style networking and discussion sessions to share priorities, strengthen relationships and partnership approaches.

A report of the event is available on our Reports page.

Scoping Study on “Models of Family Learning” published

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:47:13 +0000

The final version of the report is now available to download on our Reports page.