Hello
CDN Update

I hope this action-packed Update finds you safe and well.

We are delighted to announce that the CDN College Awards are now open for entries. The Awards recognise the talent, skills and achievements of colleges, their staff and their learners. The deadline for entries is Friday 1 July, and the winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Friday 25 November, at the Radisson Blu, Glasgow. We look forward to receiving your entries, and I wish you the very best of luck!
 
This year's highly-anticipated Virtual College Expo22 will take place on Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 June, with the theme - Rewrite the College Story: Learning Experiences, Skills Development, Anchoring Communities. Last month, we invited you to share your knowledge and experience at this year's Expo by submitting your online session and/or student story videos. We received an incredible response - thank you to everyone who submitted.
We are currently finalising the programme, which promises to be the very best yet - watch this space!
 
We continue to offer a wide range of impactful courses and events to support your professional development. Take a moment and have a look at what's on offer below and on our events section of the website.
 
As ever, please don’t hesitate to contact me if you’d like to talk about any aspect of our work, if you'd like to suggest new ways that we can support you, or share experiences and great practice that colleagues in the sector would find useful. You can email me at: jim.metcalfe@cdn.ac.uk
Jim Metcalfe, Chief Executive, CDN
Reach 2022 - Out Now!

The 2022 edition of Reach, the magazine for Scotland's college sector, is now online! Also watch out for copies that are being delivered to all colleges.

This issue is filled with stories about inspirational practice and innovation.

The spotlight is on health and social care - highlighting how colleges are stepping up to fill the skills gap.

Also inside:

  • Tackling Climate Emergency
  • Communities in Partnership
  • College Research

and lots more!
CDN Workforce Survey


With only two weeks to go until the deadline date of the CDN Workforce Survey - have your say today!

The purpose of the Survey is to identify the future learning requirements of the workforce, and crucially how you want to learn.

Your answers will inform both the design and nature of professional learning moving forward.

We’re looking for responses from ALL members of the college workforce across Scotland.

If you have any questions in relation to the survey, please contact: jonathan.rees@cdn.ac.uk
New Research Report -
Pathways from Poverty: Current Challenges and the Role of Colleges

A new report published earlier this month by CDN and Colleges Scotland, through CDN’s Research and Enhancement Centre, highlights the crucial role that Scotland’s colleges play in tackling poverty and in creating a more inclusive society.

Pathways from Poverty: Current Challenges and the Role of Colleges highlights the vital position of colleges as anchor institutions in local communities, providing a focal point not just for course education but community engagement and action in relation to poverty.

The report commissioned from IPPR Scotland, shares the essential function of colleges in driving educational and career progression for some of the country’s most disadvantaged students.
CDN College Awards 2022

The CDN College Awards are now open for entries!

The Awards recognise the talent, skills and achievements of colleges, their staff and their learners.

Entries are free and invited in the following categories:

  • College Colleague of the Year Award
  • College Community Learning Award
  • Digital Learning Award
  • Employer Connections Award
  • Health and Wellbeing Award
  • Inclusive College Award
  • Innovation Award
  • Learning and Teaching Colleague of the Year Award
  • Marketing and Communications Award
  • Skills Development Award
  • Student of the Year Award
  • Sustainability Action Award

The deadline for entries is Friday 1 July at 1700.

Creating an award-winning submission: Top Tips

To support you and your professional learning, we have provided top tips for creating an award-winning submission - view here which includes insights from Dr John Laird, HMI, Education Scotland, and two informative Virtual Bridge Sessions where you can hear directly from the judges themselves.
College Leadership and Governance Summit: Colleges as Key Drivers of Inclusive Economic Renewal

Taking place on Thursday 28 April, the Summit will bring together sector leaders, board members and industry partners to discuss the role of colleges as anchor institutions within their regional economies and the role they will continue to play in driving forward economic renewal and growth.

Titled 'Colleges as Key Drivers of Inclusive Regional Economic Renewal' the sessions will build on the work to provide our colleges with an opportunity to analyse the role they play in their regional economies through a facilitated series of self-reflective conversations and insights.

We are delighted to welcome a wide range of excellent speakers.
Introduction to a Career in
Social Care

Colleges throughout Scotland continue to deliver the exciting online course: Introduction to a Career in Social Care.

The course prepares students for a career in the wide variety of care settings in Scotland.

This course is delivered with funding from the National Transition Training Fund from Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council.

We're delighted that 18 colleges in Scotland are delivering this exciting new online course,
Virtual Bridge Webinars

CDN, in partnership with Jisc brings you the popular series of webinars - Virtual Bridge.
The 30 minute sessions are free for everyone to join.

Upcoming Webinars:

Tuesday 22 March
Esports: for the Players and Other #ECCreative Tales
Kerry Heathcote, Edinburgh College

Friday 29 April
Tuesday 7 June
Meet the Judges -
College Awards Writing Workshop 1 and 2
Chaired by Jason Miles-Campbell, Jisc
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