Top award for college

Enterprise success

West Lothian College has received a top accolade at the National Enterprise Educator Awards.

The Further Education Team Enterprise Award award was in recognition of the West Lothian College Business and Creative team delivering exceptional enterprise or entrepreneurship education inside or outside the curriculum.

The National Enterprise Educator Awards recognise excellence within enterprise and entrepreneurship education in UK higher and further education. The aim is to reward and celebrate those who have demonstrated an exceptional and inspirational commitment to supporting student and graduate entrepreneurship.

The awards were open to all UK colleges with West Lothian College shortlisted against colleges from Cornwall and Wales.

In order to win the award West Lothian College put forward a number of examples where they have shown enterprising and entrepreneurship to be at the heart of their teaching in 2015/16. Some examples include a mini business, which the students managed to sell affordable meals to students on a tight budget to feed a family of four for £1. The college also partnered up with The James Young High School to help fourth year students come up with an entrepreneurial business and the students created a novel greeting card to raise awareness around the dangers of smoking which they went on to sell at the Almondvale centre in Livingston.

Beth Brownlee, depute head for Business and Creative at West Lothian College commented: “West Lothian College is thrilled to have won this national award for excellence which recognises our team approach to creating engaging, enterprising learning and teaching for our learners.

“To be recognised with a national award is fantastic for West Lothian College’s learning community and we are all thrilled. In addition to picking up the top accolade we were also presented with £1000 which will be used to enhance our enterprise education going forward.”

Hazel Brady, centre head for business and creative added: “I am absolutely delighted to see the Business and Creative team recognised for their innovative approaches to learning and teaching which is engaging and enterprising.

The projects presented to the students offer a wide range of inclusive activities and challenges which inspire our learners to be the best that they can, helping to drive forward initiatives that inspires our students to be business leaders of the future. This award helps to raise the profile of enterprise within the curriculum at West Lothian College. None of this would have been possible without the hard work from the Business and Creative team and of course the involvement from the students.”

I am delighted to see the team recognised