Measures to reduce college drop-out rates in Scotland

A new College Quality Improvement Hub will be launched in Scotland to help reduce the full-time further education withdrawal rate.

The Hub will offer a tailored service to help the college sector cut the number of those leaving early, improve attainment levels and raise overall performance.

This follows a successful two-year pilot that saw an increase in student completions and identified some of the reasons why students decide to leave early – including complex personal issues, funding, or not initially choosing the right course.

The Hub will also enhance professional development opportunities for school and college staff, improve collaboration among colleges, and provide access to practical tools and information from other successful projects.

Speaking at the College Development Network (CDN) conference in Glasgow, Further Education Minister Richard Lochhead said: “I want to substantially reduce the current dropout rate in colleges so that more Scottish college students not just enrol, but stay the course.

“Although significant attainment challenges still persist, the pilot showed that targeting specific courses and cohorts with concerted efforts to ensure they stay does make a difference. In the wake of the pilot’s success, I have now tasked CDN to establish this new Hub to offer a tailored service to help the college sector cut the number of those leaving early, improve attainment levels and raise overall performance.

“This represents a new partnership approach to quality improvement in Scotland’s colleges. Ultimately the aim is to ensure more students emerge with a college qualification that will help them fulfil their potential.”