Ayrshire College

Did you know that Ayrshire has its own 'signs' as a dialect of British Sign Language that differ even from Glaswegian, which is just up the road. Sign languages are full languages with their own communities, histories and cultures. As this is British Sign Language week, we are taking the opportunity to talk about something that we are passionate about: inclusivity. Hearing loss is described by some as an invisible disability because you can't see that someone is deaf just by looking at them and it's estimated that only 30% to 40% of speech sounds can be lip-read even under the best conditions. That's why we always have a signer on the stage at events, like the recent John Mather Awards. We have a number of deaf students attending Ayrshire College across our campuses and their communication needs are supported in class with their own interpreter (some of our current students are in this video, alongside our communication support workers). We also offer a range BSL evening classes that start at absolute beginner level. So if you're ever thought of giving it a try then our next Introduction to Sign Language Course starts in Ayr next month! https://shorturl.at/XxxDE #EmpoweringPeopleForAChangingWorld

Last week we welcomed visitors from Centennial College in Toronto, Canada to Ayrshire as part of the Scottish Education Exchange Programme: Test and Learn Project, backed by The Scottish Government. This followed on from Ayrshire College’s trip to Canada, which also included a visit to Durham College in Oshawa, at the start of the year. The itinerary included meetings with Innovate UK, industry partners Ryanair - Europe's Favourite Airline and GE Aerospace, lunch at our training restaurant, Salt & Barrel, and visits across our campuses with colleagues. The depth of Ayrshire College's experience and engagement with the aerospace industry was commented on by our Canadian guests and we look forward to continued discussions and shared learning with them in this sector and others. Sending our thanks to Jonathan Hack, Dean, Centennial Innovates | Applied Research, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Eric Blaise, Director, Applied Research and Innovation, and Michelle DeCoste, Dean, Centre for Online Learning & Micro-Credentials for their enthusiasm and engagement on what was a jam-packed but hugely productive few days. We hope you enjoyed the tablet too! Angela Cox I Anne Campbell I Alistair Rodgers I Stuart Millar I Allan Carpenter I Sharon Driver I Michelle Wallace I Caroline Gillies I Ross Bethell I Gordon English I Alastair Heron

We're looking for an Organisational Development Manager to join our team at Ayrshire College. This is an exciting opportunity to shape how we support and develop our people at an important time for the College. You’ll provide specialist advice and guidance on key initiatives that build on existing skills, drive innovation, and support our ongoing transformation—helping us meet our Strategic Ambition. If you have experience in organisational development and a passion for helping people and teams thrive, we’d love to hear from you. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3FGyWDs

What the hand does, the mind remembers," Maria Montessori. Our Senior Leadership Team spent some time during Scottish Apprenticeship Week learning practical skills and connecting with staff and students across a variety of classes. Angela Cox visited the Renewables Room at our Ayr Campus to join lecturer Steven Murray’s third-year plumbing, gas and renewables apprentices learning about heat pumps. Alongside students from XLCC and Emergency One Group Ltd, Anne Campbell attended a welding class at our Kilmarnock Campus, supervised by lecturer Derek Jeffrey. Under the watchful eye of Chef Martin Ward in the kitchen at Westerly Restaurant in Ayr, Alan Ritchie was in for a bakery shift with hospitality apprentices and professional cookery students. Finally David Davidson was the most recent member of the SLT to visit Dam Park to get involved in a forest kindergarten session with HNC Childcare students, local children and their families alongside lecturers Leah McGarrell and Sandra Coulter. Alan said: "I really enjoyed getting out from behind a desk and seeing what our students and staff actually do. It's a great way to remind us of what it takes to deliver education and I admire even more the lecturing staff's dedication to keep lessons running smoothly. I'm sure if the roles were reversed, they would find what I do really boring. For me, though, there was an added benefit in that I got to make and eat empire biscuits." 📸 Martyn Cain

Kicking off Tuesday with a success story and smiley faces from some Hospitality students based at our Kilmarnock Campus who had a very successful few days at the Scottish Culinary Championships at ScotHot in Glasgow recently. In total, they won three silver medals, seven bronze medals and four merit awards. The students practised tirelessly ahead of time to prepare and their efforts were rewarded in a variety of categories including: plated desserts, roll design and shaping, chicken cut for sauté and cocktail mixology. Lecturer Ainsley Miller also won a bronze medal in the food photography category. Lovely to see hard work being rewarded. #EmpoweringPeopleForAChangingWorld

In partnership with hub South West Scotland and Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce, we're hosting a #NetZero Skills Event for the Ayrshire Built Environment Supply Chain. Learn what Tier 1 contractors expect from their supply chain partners, discover how Net Zero pathways can benefit your business, and gain insights into sustainability policies and tendering requirements. Register here https://bit.ly/4hvPs6k and join us at Kilwinning Campus on Thursday 3 April. Speakers include: Dr. Willie Mackie and Michael Ross, hub South West Scotland; Hassan Waheed, Turner & Townsend; Neil Armstrong, Kier Group and Caitriona Jordan, Built Environment - Smarter Transformation

Neurodiversity Celebration Week, which begins today, aims to raise awareness around a diverse range of neurological differences such as autism, ADHD and dyslexia to promote inclusion and understanding. Charlotte Mitchell, our Equality and Diversity Performance Lead, has been working with CDN on its Neurodiversity in Action Campaign. She has interviewed six of our students for a special podcast series to hear about their unique experience of neurodiversity, how it affects them and what support they have received from Ayrshire College to help them overcome some of the challenges they have faced. These students’ stories highlight the importance of creating an inclusive and supportive environment for neurodiverse individuals. The College’s commitment to providing tailored support and accommodations has not only helped these students succeed but has also inspired their peers and educators. Their journeys remind us that with understanding, empathy and the right resources, everyone can achieve their full potential. You can listen to the rest of Natalie's story and the full podcast series via this link https://ow.ly/KSUX50Vihzm #EmpoweringPeopleForAChangingWorld

Hard to believe it's been a week since our International Women's Day lunch highlighting the important role women in STEM play and the need to help retain female talent in the workforce. Statistics from Women in STEM show that while the STEM sector is growing at a rapid rate, the representation of women in STEM remains low, at just over a quarter of the overall STEM workforce. While this is a gradual increase, at the current rate of change we would not see equal representation in STEM until the year 2070. This event wouldn't be possible without the four incredible women who took time out of their busy diaries to inspire our students and invited guests. Thanks to Janice Russell, Managing Director at McTaggart Construction, Alison Somerville, Managing Director at Dustacco Engineering, Victoria Lambert, General Manager at PRESTWICK AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE LTD and Dr Fayza Hassan, a lecturer in Engineering at Ayrshire College, for sharing their career stories during thought provoking presentations as well some fantastic advice for early career women in STEM during our panel discussion. 📸 Photography by Martyn Cain #EmpoweringPeopleForAChangingWorld

The importance of mentorship is at the heart of this blog post that Anne Campbell, our Vice Principal of Skills and Enterprise, has published with College Employers Scotland as part of a series to mark #IWD. It's a timely reminder on the power of taking time to connect and to share insights and experience with others. These conversations might not offer instant solutions but they are a chance to find common ground and often encourage that we push ourselves out of our comfort zone. Anne explains: "It's natural to think of a mentor as being in a hierarchical relationship, but I have also had the great privilege of working alongside some inspirational female peers, wider female staff colleagues and, of course been humbled by the achievements of our wonderful students. The lessons I’ve learned from these interactions over the past 25 years have been instrumental in shaping the leader I am today and the leader that I continue to aspire to be." We'd love for you to use this post to share something about the mentors and role models that have aided your career journeys in the comments.

To celebrate International Women’s Day last week, Ayrshire College invited four Captains of Industry working in the STEM sector, to share their career journey and what advice they would give to our female students studying STEM subjects. The theme for 2025 was Accelarating Action and our discussion and challenge focussed on improving the retention of women in STEM related careers. A huge thank you to Janice Russell McTaggart Group, Alison Somerville Dustacco Engineering , Vicki Lambert Ryanair and Dr Fayza Hassan Ayrshire College for inspiring the next generation of industry leaders and providing a lot of food for thought in how we create the conditions for women to thrive in the workplace. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻