UHI college merger approved unanimously by boards
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UHI North Highland college will become part of a wider Highlands and Islands establishment after plans for a merger were approved.
The boards of management at UHI North Highland, UHI Outer Hebrides and UHI West Highland voted unanimously in favour of the proposed merger.
A business case for the plans has now been submitted to the Scottish Government for approval ahead of a proposed merger date in August 2023.
The decision follows a 10-week public consultation and a visit by the Scottish Funding Council to campuses in Fort William, Stornoway and Thurso.
UHI North Highland has a campus in Alness while UHI West Highland has bases in Ullapool and Gairloch.
Dr Michael Foxley, chairman of the partnership board leading the merger programme, said: “This decision is testament to the great teamwork and positive energy of the executive team, merger programme team, board members, staff and students. We have a clear vision for our merged college and have growth ambitions to develop our partnerships and create new learning and training opportunities that directly benefit our communities, encouraging more people to live, study and work across the north and west Highlands and Hebrides.
"This is a tremendously exciting and positive time for our three colleges, and we look forward to working collaboratively with all our stakeholders as we move towards a vesting date next year.”
The planned merger has been backed by Caithness, Sutherland and Ross MSP Maree Todd, as well as Alasdair Allan, MSP for the Western Isles, and Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.
UHI, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Skills Development Scotland also supported the bid.
A spokeswoman for UHI said it would create a more sustainable organisation with combined capacity and resource to grow curriculum, research and innovation; develop partnerships to support employers address the skills shortages in the area; and help it to become more responsive to the social, cultural and economic opportunities in the region.
The three colleges have more than 9000 students and 600 staff spread across 19 campuses and learning centres in Caithness, Sutherland, Ross and Cromarty, Lochaber, Lochalsh, Skye and the Western Isles.
The merged college aims to respond to the region’s key growth sectors including the economic opportunities around net zero decarbonisation, renewable energy, engineering, advanced manufacturing and aquaculture. Gaelic provision will also be a priority for the merged college.
Heather Innes, president of the Highlands and Islands Students’ Association (HISA), added: “HISA are pleased with the decision made to proceed with the merging of UHI North Highland, UHI West Highland and UHI Outer Hebrides to become one stronger and sustainable institution.
"As a student-led organisation we are proud that the students were given such encouragement to provide their views and opinions regarding the proposal. We plan to continue working closely with UHI staff and students to ensure the student voice continues to be a major part of the process in creating the best college for our current and future students.”
Work will now continue to ensure the three colleges are ready for the merger next year. Meanwhile, consultation on the name of the merged college continues.
