West Lothian College

Principal & Chief Executive

Take a look at the role…

Welcome

Thank you for your interest in the role of Principal and Chief Executive of West Lothian College.

Since moving to its new site in Livingston in 2001, West Lothian College has been building on its success to offer vocational learning for further education to meet the needs of the region. With an established history going back to 1965, the College has been able to use strong foundations to deliver high calibre learning using modern facilities to the West Lothian community.

As Chair of the Board of Governors, I have been keen to ensure that the College maintains its high standards of learning and attainment which are current priorities for all at West Lothian College. Student involvement is key in all that we do and the Student Voice is an integral part of the day to day running of West Lothian College. With the support of a strong Board of Governors bringing a wealth of knowledge from diverse backgrounds, there is a clear strategy to keep West Lothian College at the forefront of excellence in further education.

As a single campus College, I feel that there is a sense of community at West Lothian College with some 8000 students and 280 staff (FTE), while still being a major influencer in the further education sector with a significant size of operation.  To give you a sense of the size of West Lothian College, the combined operating income in 2015-16 was around £15m and this consisted of both government funding and commercial income.

The population of West Lothian is growing and is one of the youngest in Scotland; a current population of 177,000 which is set to increase by 19% over the next 20 years. I am keen to see West Lothian College develop high quality learning and teaching to increase the student and employer base now and in the future. 

I wish you well with your application 

Alex Linkston
Chair of the Board of Governors

West Lothian College is an award winning provider of further education based in Livingston, West Lothian. Offering the widest range of academic and vocational qualifications in the area, it has the vision to be a “college which delivers a highly skilled and enterprising workforce of the future”

With a vibrant, modern and innovative learning environment, the College is well equipped to ensure that students have the best facilities and resources to help develop their learning and skills. Focused on being innovative in the delivery of high quality learning and supporting the needs of young learners, the College is renowned for its successful collaborations with external partners.

The college were also an early adopter and pathfinder for “Foundation Apprenticeships” and their successes include:

  • Gaining accreditation for work in Science, Technology, Enterprise and Mathematics (STEM) and signing an innovative partnership with a leading Indonesian college
  • International staff and student exchanges in 2015-2016 to Germany, Morocco, France, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Sweden, Gran Canaria and Thailand.
  • 2015 and 2017 Winners of the “Best Restaurant in South East Scotland Award” voted for by the Scottish public for the College’s hospitality training facility the “Terrace Restaurant”
  • Having secured investment, the college has completed recent extensions to its facilities with a new engineering multi-purpose workshop and a purpose built state of the art fitness suite to complement the existing sports hall. These are supporting the college to extend its curriculum further with programmes in construction, engineering and sports and fitness.
  • Most recently receiving a national accolade (National Enterprise Educator Awards) for delivering exceptional enterprise or entrepreneurship education inside or outside the curriculum
  • Having a strong sense of partnership with employers and West Lothian Community Planning Partnership
  • 2016 Education Scotland full review which recognised the effective leadership of the college
Download Draft 2018 – 2021 Regional Outcome Agreement
Download 2016 – 2017 College Performance Indicators
Download 2016 Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education Report

You will lead an innovative and responsive college that provides wide ranging and appropriate curriculum choices for the expanding local population of West Lothian and reacts to changes in the external environment in order to maximise training opportunities and income generation.

The key aim is to improve student attainment and retention to enable them to fulfil their potential and progress to positive destinations. You will also lead engagement with local employers and higher education pathways and ensure the college continues to be respected by all its stakeholders.

Download the position profile document for this role

Interested candidates should provide a short covering letter detailing current circumstances alongside a tailored CV to Douglas Adam at [email protected].

Recruitment Timetable

Closing date for applications: Monday 16th April
Shortlist meeting: Wednesday 9th May
Final Panel Interview*: Thursday 24th May

*Shortlisted candidates will also be invited to meet various internal and external stakeholders on the Wednesday 23rd May (Late afternoon for evening start)

The recruitment process for this position is being managed by advising consultants Livingston James