Glasgow Metropolitan College: interior design students project with Fintry Community Council.
Staff have contributed to the development of units in new SQA award including a new unit Art and design: sustainability. They have developed project work for learners that addresses sustainability issues. One such project involved HND Interior Design learners working with Fintry Community Council. Fintry aims to be Scotland’s first ‘carbon neutral’ community and has an active community council with a strong interest in environmental issues. The learners were commissioned to redesign part of the local community centre using eco-friendly guidelines. Learners made a visit to the site and engaged in discussions with the clients and end users. Each learner developed a design solution to the functional, aesthetic and ethical concerns of the client. Lecturing staff developed informative and thought provoking presentations on aspects of sustainable design and learners engaged in focused research into environmentally sound materials, fixture and fittings. A selection of final design solutions was presented to the clients at Fintry and these were displayed in a public exhibition at the community centre. Learners had direct feedback from clients and it is anticipated that one of the schemes will actually be built at Fintry when funding is finalised.
Carnegie College: additional support programmes in real environments (ASPIRE)
The ASPIRE initiative provided realistic work experiences, combined with an integrated approach to the use of renewable resources, for a wide range of learners with additional support needs. Learners worked with a range of partners in the community and used the ASPIRE centre, located within the college’s Ecospace, as well as external facilities. They used a range of industry-standard resources to help them develop their skills. For example, they attended the Rosyth Resource Centre to use the professional laundry facilities to deliver a contract to launder protective clothing of learners on construction and beauty programmes. The college capitalised on the Ecospace to promote the concept of renewable resources which was embedded in learner programmes and activities. Environmental issues were very much part of the curriculum with units like Be green while you clean as examples of the priority the college placed on these issues and the use of natural products wherever possible. All learner activities related to the concept of renewable resources. This aspect had become a focus of their lives away from college, and many parents and carers reported that learners were urging family members and friends to utilise more eco-friendly practices in their everyday lives. The developing knowledge of this team of staff continues to have a positive impact across other teams. (source HMIE review report of Carnegie College, published 2008)
Dundee College: red squirrel feeder project in engineering
Dundee is the only city in the UK that still has a large resident red squirrel population. However, as in other areas of the country, the red squirrel is under threat from the ever-increasing grey squirrel population. The engineering section of the college was approached by Dundee City Council Countryside Rangers service to contribute to their red squirrel project. Engineering learners designed and manufactured an improved red squirrel feeding box that the countryside rangers use to supplement the red squirrel diet. They carried out the task while undertaking the NQ Design and Make unit. The design brief required the feeding box to be accessible only to red squirrels, to be easily replenished with food, easily cleaned and maintained, easily mounted and safely secured on trees and to allow good views of the squirrels while they are feeding. The learners designed and manufactured suitable feeding boxes that met the required standards and which are used by the countryside rangers. As well developing their engineering skills the project had made the learners very aware of biodiversity issues.
South Lanarkshire College: low carbon house
The college is working with some 20 companies and suppliers of construction materials to design and construct a low energy, low carbon house on the college campus. The college’s lead partner in the project is Dawn Homes and the project is on schedule to be completed in October 2009 when the college hosts the annual skill build competition. The project aims to showcase the design and construction standards contained in the Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland document. It will meet the requirements of a code 5 rating under the energy efficiency code for sustainable homes. A key principle in the development of the house is affordability and in this regard the project is at the leading edge of developments in Scotland. The project is an impressive focus for the college in bringing together its range of activities in sustainability. The house will be used to showcase to learners, staff and the outside world the importance of sustainable habitations and the key domestic elements of energy saving methods and systems. The college plans to use the building for training purposes for its own learners and those of employees of the construction industry.
Cardonald College: The Green Guide, improving sustainability
As part of its commitment to sustainability education and to achieving energy efficiency in the college, the computing section developed and distributed to learners its Green Guide. In addition, the section had introduced a number of measures to reduce energy consumption and use of consumable resources. The Green Guide covered topics including: sustainable choices; purchasing computers; energy consumption; peripherals; and consumable items. It covered issues related to computer use such as reducing consumption, best practice, power management, and recycling. The measures to reduce energy consumption by staff and learners in the computing section included: centralised printing with lecturer authorisation; increased electronic storage and access to documents; discouragement from printing; and measures to prevent electrical equipment in computing rooms from being left switched on overnight.
As a result of the introduction of the Green Guide, learners had enhanced awareness of sustainability issues and, in particular, how to acquire, use and dispose of ICT equipment in the most environmentally sustainable manner. The initiative had led directly to a 50% reduction in costs of printer toner and paper in one year and a 66% reduction in paper consumption over three years. Measures to reduce power consumption in computer labs included the automatic tripping of all power to the lab if any computer equipment was still live at a certain time each evening. Teaching staff had no access to restore power and had to rely on technician staff to perform this service. Computer labs affected in this way were a source of serious inconvenience to staff and learners as they could not begin work in the morning until a technician had restored power. After a high incidence of power trips in labs in the early stages of the initiative, staff and learners learned to check thoroughly that all computers were switched off and the number of instances of power tripping dropped abruptly, with consequent savings in power. (source HMIE review report of Cardonald College, published 2008)
Dumfries and Galloway College: Green Travel Plan, promoting access and inclusion, healthy working lives and sustainability
The project promoted the use of sustainable transport for learners and employees of the college, and fitted well with the Scottish Government aim for a Greener Scotland. The college worked in partnership with a range of organisations including the Council, Health Authority, Barony College and the Crichton Universities to implement the plan to provide a public transport network. The transport network enabled learners in rural and remote areas to attend their chosen programme at all campuses and enhanced the public transport infrastructure for the wider community. The public transport network was an integral part of the college’s wider Green Travel Plan which also incorporated measures to promote and encourage cycling, walking, and car sharing for learners, staff and visitors to the college.
The college had appointed a travel coordinator to implement the range of actions and initiatives within the Green Travel Plan, and to ensure that they would be sustained after the move to the new college campus at Crichton. In March 2008, the college, in partnership with South West of Scotland Transport Partnership (SWESTRANS), Dumfries and Galloway Council and the NHS launched a joint journey share database, as part of a national initiative for finding others with similar travel requirements. (www.dgtripshare.com)
The sustainable transport project had recently been shortlisted for a Green Gown award, which was open to all universities and colleges in the UK. The project was very successful with over 65% of learners travelling by college-funded public transport. This was a remarkable achievement given that Dumfries and Galloway is one of the most sparsely populated areas of the UK. Recent Learner Voices feedback indicated that 50% of learners would not have been able to attend college without this provision. (source HMIE review report of Dumfries and Galloway College, published 2008)
Forth Valley College: Partnership working to develop work based learning
Forth Valley College’s Raploch Campus is situated in one of Scotland’s most deprived areas and seeks to provide realistic workplace learning which assists learners’ progress into employment in the tourism and hospitality industries. Most of the seventy learners currently undertaking vocational programmes left school with few or no qualifications and had been disengaged from learning. In the hospitality programme, the college incorporated learning activities within a real-life working environment which prepared learners to meet the responsibilities, demands and culture of the industry. Staff identified an opportunity for contributing in partnership to Scottish Government’s Hungry for Success initiative and collaborated and contracted with Stirling Council to produce the school lunches for three Stirling primary schools and bistro meals for the community of Raploch. Learners on the programme worked as a team to prepare, cook and deliver these meals throughout the school terms. A core part of the programme was to develop teamwork, self-esteem and responsibility. Although most learners had a previous history of disengagement from learning, all of them successfully completed the Get Ready For Work programme and progressed to a Skillseeker programme. The most notable benefits of the programme were the increase in responsibility, commitment, confidence and aspiration of learners who responded well to the demands of a real-life learning experience and took part enthusiastically in their activities. (source HMIE review report of Forth Valley College, published 2008)
Elmwood College: Sustainability and environmental management
The college embedded the ISO14001 Environmental Management System in all its activities. In addition, it had registered with a number of other environmental management systems including Committed to Green and the Wildlife Trust’s Biodiversity Benchmark. By setting annual environmental improvement targets the college sought to develop a sustainable estates strategy and bring about an overall reduction in its carbon footprint. On-site initiatives such as recycling, waste streaming, composting and energy management led to substantial financial savings over a number of years and these savings were used to improve the learner experience. For example, learners recycled aluminium cans at the campus recycling stations and used the cash raised to purchase karaoke equipment for the student union. The adoption of these environmental standards had an impact on the curriculum in a number of ways. For example, the biodiversity agenda and integrated management of the golf course involved learners at all stages of implementation. In hairdressing, beauty and complementary therapies, learners considered the impact that the products they used had on the environment. Such initiatives supported the development of a ‘green’ ethos which influenced the behaviour and practice of staff and learners. Learners behaved in an environmentally responsible way, fostering a sense of global stewardship. (source HMIE review report of Elmwood College, published 2007)
Inverness College: Micro-Renewable Installer Programmes – Hot Water Solar
The School of Construction and Forestry had worked in partnership with Highlands and Islands Enterprise Community Energy Scotland and kit manufacturers to design and deliver this successful programme to workers within the plumbing, electrical and heating industries. The programme met a number of needs including:
During the 3.5 days programme, learners engaged in a variety of theory and practical activities. These included a visit to the college renewable laboratory, the installation of panels and evacuated tubes to various roof types and installation of relevant plumbing and electrical systems. Learners gained valuable vocational and employability skills through completion of this programme, including the attainment of a British Plumbing Employers Council (BPEC) nationally accredited qualification for hot water solar installers. This also resulted in extended employment opportunities for heating, plumbing and electrical industry personnel. (source HMIE review report of Inverness College, published 2007)
Dundee College: knowledge transfer partnership
The college has operated an environmental group for a decade and considers sustainability education as important for learners, staff and employers.
Innovative projects and major seminars characterise the college’s sustainability activities with emphases on energy, construction and preparing learners for green jobs. The college has been successful in gaining a knowledge transfer partnership grant to support an innovative development with a major contracting company in micro-renewable technologies. The project aims to provide the company with the capability to become a major contractor in Scotland for the design, installation and maintenance of micro-renewable technologies. The transfer of expertise in micro-renewable technologies from the college to the company enables it to integrate the technologies into the business through establishing a new operating division in to its commercial and domestic building services activities. The knowledge transfer partnership offers the college opportunities to apply staff knowledge and expertise to important business problems related to micro-renewable technologies. Staff in turn gain experience of current business developments and the project will generate research ideas and teaching materials relevant to business. The closer working relationship with the company facilitates on-site student visits and practical demonstrations of the implementation of micro-renewable technologies.
Langside College: volunteering
The college promotes volunteering as having an important contribution to make in the development of sustainable communities as well as a way of improving links with its own community. The college uses volunteer tutors in literacy and information technology and learners take part in volunteering activities in sport studies, computing and hairdressing, beauty and complementary therapies. Learners provide free treatments for residents in care homes for the elderly, for staff and patients in local hospitals where they help to de-stress staff and help patients, and for various community groups. Learners also contribute to events such as International Women’s Aid day and Children in Need. They enjoy volunteering and consider it helps them build their confidence and consolidate their learning. Learners said ‘By providing treatments to help the elderly, stressed and vulnerable, we help them to feel better about themselves and build their confidence. This in turn creates positive attitudes in people, and helps to sustain the communities in which they live.’
John Wheatley College: East End Campus
The college opened its new £15m East End campus in August 2007 to replace the former Shettleston campus. The campus is an excellent example of sustainability within the design of an educational building. The campus is designed and constructed to be extremely energy efficient and features an extensive range of sustainable technologies to reduce overall energy consumption and to utilise on-site renewable energy sources. In 2008, the new campus secured the Institute of Glasgow Architects’ Best Educational Building and Sustainable Design Award, and was shortlisted in the learning category of the World Architecture Festival Awards. The design of the building achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating. The many environmental and sustainability features in the campus include:
College managers promote the sustainable features of the college’s estate to staff and learners. To help users of the college to appreciate the impact of energy saving measures, the building management system is used to display on plasma screens the amount of water recycled and energy saved. The campus development complies with the Nature Conservancy Scotland Act 2004. It has been designed to promote biodiversity and the building features an environmental education display system. The college is retrofitting a number of energy efficiency and sustainable energy technologies to its Easterhouse Campus, which opened in 2001. These include photovoltaic cells, an air-source heat pump and 6 kW wind turbine. The wind turbine is some 15m high and provides a clear visual statement to the local community of the college’s commitment to saving energy and sustainable technologies.
The display on the plasma screen located in the reception area at John Wheatley College’s East End Campus provides energy efficiency information on the building’s photovoltaic array, biomass boiler, solar collectors, rainwater harvesting and heat pumps.
John Wheatley College: joint working and the development of shared services
The college is committed to joint working and the development of shared services. It participates in the operation of the Bridge in Easterhouse. This is an innovative shared library service that the college has developed with Culture and Sport Glasgow. It challenges traditional views of sector-based library services and develops new ways of enabling clients to access library services, learning and information. The college transferred its library staff and services to Glasgow City Council prior to the opening of the Bridge in 2007. The shared service has resulted in a significant improvement in the quality of library services in Easterhouse and a substantial increase in library activity. The joint library provision has propelled the Easterhouse public library to being regularly in the top five most busy libraries in Glasgow, whereas previously it was ranked around 27th in the list. An evaluation, funded by the Scottish Library and Information Council, confirmed that the shared arrangements have improved significantly the quality and range of both the college and public library services. The development relies on a high degree of integration with local service providers to enable the Greater Easterhouse community to access joined-up public services of high standards. The project contributes greatly to local regeneration and sustainable communities.