The validation follows an event held at the Paisley Campus in June 2019 when a GTCS Panel heard about the college’s strategic direction for professional learning.

The new Professional Review and Development (PRD) process had been in place for a year and focuses on the learning and development of staff. A clear commitment of the college, that was present throughout, was that of career-long professional development as an entitlement for all. The Panel was impressed by what the College has to offer its staff, as well as their plans for future development. “Building our Collective Future” was identified as a valuable document, which set out the vision and values of the college and expected behaviours to assist in the continued development of a learning organisation.

Vikki Robertson, Senior Education Officer, GTCS said, “The Panel is pleased to fully validate West College Scotland for their professional development policy and processes. The Senior Leadership Team’s commitment to ensuring staff are encouraged and supported to engage in high-quality professional learning is to be commended.”

Cathy MacNab, Assistant Principal, Performance and Skills, West College Scotland said, 

West College Scotland is delighted to be accredited by GTCS in recognition of our commitment to the continued development of the professionalism of our staff.

“We aim to increase the numbers of our GTCS-registered teaching staff and this validation enables us to fully support their development as professional and reflective practitioners, delivering a high-quality learning experience for all of our students. We will use our successful validation to promote positive engagement with the professional standards framework and direct our CPD offering to staff.”

Ken Muir, Chief Executive and Registrar, GTCS said “We are pleased to award West College Scotland with the PU Validation quality mark, in recognition of the clear commitment they have shown to supporting learning and career-long development for their staff.”

Since 2016 college lecturers registered with GTCS have been required to commit to engaging in ongoing professional learning across their career. This process is called Professional Update and it is a requirement of professional registration with GTCS.

The process requires lecturers to engage in career-long professional learning through the PRD process in college, self-evaluate using the Professional Standards for Lecturers in Scotland's Colleges and/or GTCS Professional Standards, maintain a reflective professional learning record and discuss the impact of this professional learning through professional dialogue with a line manager. This ongoing process is signed off every five years through GTCS.