A new report has highlighted the importance of Scottish colleges in unlocking a ‘hidden workforce’ for the construction industry.
Against a backdrop of funding cuts to Scotland’s colleges, an independent report on Glasgow Kelvin College has revealed it delivers £7 in economic and social value for every £1 of public funding it receives. The £194 million boost to Scotland is detailed in a report by BiGGAR Economics.
Around 100,000 people in north east Glasgow live in areas classed among the 20% most deprived, with more than half (58%) of local data zones falling into that bracket. Some 40.5% of Glasgow Kelvin College’s students come from Scotland’s most deprived postcodes, compared with a sector average of 23.5%.
The study found that Glasgow Kelvin College generated £85.4 million in operational impact, £63.7 million in wellbeing benefits, £27 million in the social value of qualifications, and £17.8 million in wage premiums as learners moved into employment or higher-paid roles. Of the wellbeing impact, £50.5 million relates to lifetime gains for students who may otherwise have remained out of work or education.
Courses aligned to national skills shortages – including engineering, construction, health and social care, digital and low-carbon technologies – generated £27 million in social value, while apprenticeships and vocational qualifications delivered an estimated £17.8 million uplift in wages for former students.
Joanna Campbell, principal of Glasgow Kelvin College, said, “This report shows how Kelvin is the best-placed institution to help mobilise a hidden workforce. We are proud that our institution provides a bridge for people in north east Glasgow, helping them move from economic deprivation into the skills needed by today’s employers.”
The figures arrive as Scotland’s college sector warns of deepening financial pressures. Audit Scotland has reported a near 20% real-terms fall in funding since 2021/22, alongside falling student numbers and growing deficits. Amid these challenges, the report demonstrates how Glasgow Kelvin College is essential to delivering Scotland’s future workforce, tackling child poverty, and supporting the transition to a greener, fairer economy.
Ross Hammell, corporate social responsibility manager at McTaggart Group, added, “We’re proud to work closely with Glasgow Kelvin College across a range of programmes: from school-based initiatives that give young people their first experience of construction, to apprenticeships and site placements across our projects. The college consistently opens doors for people who might otherwise be overlooked.
“Those pathways give marginalised people a genuine first step into work and provide our industry with the skilled talent it urgently needs to meet Scotland’s housing and infrastructure demands.”
