Introduction from Alan Findlay, Chair of the Board of Management
Thank-you for your interest in the post of Principal of Banff and Buchan College. After nearly 10 years at the helm, Dr Robert Sinclair will be stepping down as Principal in March 2010 to move on to new challenges, and we are now seeking to appoint an outstanding individual to lead the College and build on the significant success already achieved.
The College offers high quality education and training to over 18,000 learners (2,000 FTE), both on our main campus in Fraserburgh and spread across our 7 outreach learning centres. Our experienced staff, many of whom have industry experience prior to working in FE, help our students get the most from their studies and fulfil their potential. Although based in North Aberdeenshire, the College has a considerable international reach, with staff and students coming to Banff and Buchan from all over the world. We have a breadth of well-established partnerships with employers and industry, and our broader relationships with schools, the local authority, businesses and other educational institutions enable us to respond to the education and skills needs of our region in a flexible, creative and imaginative way.
This is an exciting time for Banff and Buchan College. Work is due to start imminently on the ‘College 2012’ project, a £30m refurbishment that will see our learning space at Fraserburgh revitalised and modernised, to further ensure that we are providing the best possible environment for our students to succeed. The highly positive HMIe review published in July 2009 demonstrates the quality of our provision, a strength recognised by the community and employers alike. Undoubtedly this is a challenging period for the FE sector as a whole, with factors such as the current economic climate and changes in policy at the Scottish Funding Council playing their part in the way we manage our resources and services. However this is also a time of opportunity for us and we therefore seek a Principal who can lead us through the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
The successful candidate will take on all these challenges. They will require a strategic vision, senior management experience, excellent people management skills, a good understanding of further education and vocational training, and the ability to engage externally and build on the existing strong and sustainable partnerships across our region.
We are excited about meeting you and understanding how your skills, knowledge, expertise and talents can respond to these challenges, and how together we may achieve all our goals. We look forward to receiving your application.