Ayrshire College formally celebrates 10th anniversary
Ayrshire College hosted a special 10th anniversary dinner on Thursday 15 February for invited guests who have played a prominent role in the College’s success over the years.
The celebration brought together current staff as well as board members, key stakeholders and industry partners to reflect on the College’s remarkable journey following the merger of Ayr College, Kilmarnock College, and James Watt College (Kilwinning & Largs campuses) a decade ago.
The celebration also provided an excellent opportunity for Ayrshire College students to further develop their skills and learning, with Photography student Martyn Cain taking photographs throughout the evening and Music student Evan Keen providing the entertainment. Guests enjoyed a three-course meal, prepared and served by the College's Hospitality students at the Kilmarnock Campus, while reflecting on the successes of Ayrshire College, to date.
Ayrshire College Principal, Angela Cox also spoke about the exciting opportunities for the college in the coming years, as an anchor institution, supporting and enabling the Regional Economic Strategy and Ayrshire Growth Deal.
The decision to merge the colleges and establish Ayrshire College was taken over a decade ago to improve the efficiency, flexibility and provision of college education across Scotland. Ayrshire College serves Ayrshire and the surrounding areas from campuses in Ayr, Kilmarnock and Kilwinning, which offer a wide range of curriculum opportunities for students to study and develop skills.
Highlights noted at the dinner included the opening of a new Kilmarnock Campus in 2016, the recent opening of the Willie Mackie Skills Hub that enables Ayrshire College to provide sustainable, emerging and SMART technology training alongside construction programmes in North Ayrshire, the incredible Mission Discovery programme that brought NASA astronauts to Ayrshire for three separate space schools, and many student success stories over the years, including winning an unprecedented five SQA College Candidate of the Year awards in a row.
Angela Cox, Principal at Ayrshire College, said: “Ayrshire College is proud of the partnership approach we have fostered with our local employers and stakeholders over the last 10 years and our response to the challenges and opportunities within our region. We will continue to build on these strong foundations and enable our industries and communities across Ayrshire to thrive.”
Fiona McQueen, Chair of the Board of Management at Ayrshire College, said: “This evening has given us the chance to reflect on the past ten years and to share Ayrshire College's aspirations for the coming decade.
“Over these 10 years, we've built a fantastic college in Ayrshire, that serves our communities well and our campuses are positive, inspirational community hubs. We've seen over 100,000 enrolments in our programmes, which has shaped and influenced the lives of many students and, by extension, their families. For some, the College experience will have been truly life changing and this is thanks to the talent and dedication of every single member of college staff.”
19 February 2024
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