College News

Glasgow Clyde College (GCC) has teamed up with the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU) and men’s mental health platform Brothers in Arms (BIA) in a mission to support those suffering with poor mental health - from the comfort of a hair salon chair. 

Barbering and hairdressing students from GCC will now have access to a course which will allow them to support clients if they spot any mental health warning signs. A recent study has revealed that British men are more comfortable talking to their barber than their GP about mental health struggles, with public health initiatives increasingly looking to find other outlets in order to advocate wider discussions to be had around those struggling. 

Glasgow Clyde College (GCC) is enjoying a strong uplift in student recruitment, with an additional 200 full-time students who have embarked on full-time courses from August 2023, compared to 2022 - that’s despite at 10% cut to courses nationally. 

Following a successful ‘You Can’ recruitment campaign, including open days; online marketing and PR; and becoming the first college in the UK to deliver an online prospectus on TikTok, Glasgow Clyde College has increased the number of full-time students enrolled on courses for its August intake, landing 7% above target.  

Important Information for students studying in session 2022-23

Updated 22 August 2023 

Industrial action is presently taking place nationally across Scotland’s colleges.  This means that some teaching staff are not entering results into college systems to be sent to the relevant awarding body (eg SQA, City & Guilds). This situation currently affects all colleges in Scotland, and is outwith the control of Glasgow Clyde College to resolve locally.  It is a national dispute between the College Employers and the EIS teaching union, which we hope will be resolved as soon as possible. 

We realise that this may cause anxiety and hope that the following information will reassure you.

Glasgow Clyde College (GCC) has created the world’s first ever TikTok prospectus, aimed at helping Gen Z-ers across Scotland make their next steps after taking exams this month. 

In recent years, the social media app has exploded in popularity amongst young people, becoming the go-to search engine for 40% of 16-24 year olds - hunting for everything from restaurant and travel recommendations to cleaning or DIY hacks - and now, they can even apply to college. 

The College has curated a series of ‘ProspecToks’ that give real-life insight to young people who are considering going to college through short videos on the social media platform, in addition to the traditional paperback booklets. 

Throughout November there will be a series of webinars to help staff and students.

Money Advice Scotland

Join us in the Student Space at Cardonald Campus from 10am-3pm for a day of Recruitment, Careers Support and Professional Industry Talks.

HND Industrial Biotechnology and Technical Apprenticeship

After two years of virtual ceremonies, students from Glasgow Clyde College took to the stage once again, with an in-person graduation on Saturday (5th November).

Taking place across three ceremonies at the University of Glasgow’s Bute Hall, over 500 students, who had studied across the College’s three campuses in the city donned their robes and celebrated their achievements in style.

Students graduating were from the faculties of Business, Creative and Digital Industries, Engineering, Computing and the Built Environment, Health and Wellbeing and Access and Continuing Learning.

Senior phase pupils on our Introduction to Nursing course recently surprised Critical Care Nurses at the Golden Jubilee and Queen Elizabeth University Hospitals with some pamper baskets to thank them for their dedication and hard work. The baskets contained a range of pamper products, including beautiful candles and hand sanitiser donated by Ishga, as well as handwritten letters of encouragement and thanks from the students. The students all hope to go on to work in the NHS in the future.

Glasgow Clyde College has partnered with the International Tree Foundation (ITF), pledging to plant trees and hedges on its Cardonald Campus over the next three years. 

To commemorate the partnership and kick-start the sustainable initiative during Glasgow’s COP26 Climate Conference, a beech tree was planted at the college’s Cardonald Campus and unveiled by Glasgow Clyde College Principal, Jon Vincent, and International Tree Foundation Chair of Trustees, Stephen Vickers. 

Find out more at: Celtic Soccer Academy celebrates its longstanding partnership with Glasgow Clyde College | celticfc.com

Students on the HNC Childhood Practice at Glasgow Clyde College undertake a Forest Kindergarten unit as part of the course, enabling them to learn how to plan, prepare, set up and lead play in a woodland environment. They also learn about the many benefits of being in woodlands for children and staff, including how trees support a healthy planet by filtering the air and storing CO2, and how trees help to ameliorate the impact of flooding and help to stabilise the soil to avoid it being washed away.

A young Glaswegian presented with a top award for his horticulture skills is looking forward to enrolling at the further education establishment in August, following successfully completing a Horticulture course for school pupils at Glasgow Clyde College.  

Matthew Houston (18), pupil at Rosshall Academy, (pictured above on left with fellow pupil Martin Stewart), won a Lantra Scotland ALBA award which recognised his green-fingered credentials, following a 9-month, day release course at the college’s Langside campus.

The experience was so rewarding that Matthew, who is visually impaired and has autism, now plans to progress to college once he finishes school at the end of June.

Earlier this year when we were forced to shut the college doors as a result of the pandemic, we all wondered how we could keep a sense of community alive between staff and students. For many, dance training in a nurturing and supportive environment can provide a welcome escape from the stresses of daily life.

Our department is a very tight knit family, owing to all the collaborative work we do across all four of our year groups. This approach creates lasting bonds - sharing something you love with others who feel the same can be emotionally and spiritually uplifting.

This Mental Health Awareness Week we are sharing the following videos, which have been created to help manage different areas of mental wellbeing.

Developing a Wellness Action Plan

By Gemma Fieldsend

https://vimeo.com/419840688

During this presentation, Gemma shows us how to use a wellbeing action plan to manage our mental wellbeing and signposts several other resources and support.

Managing stress in today’s world

By Sarah Ashworth

https://vimeo.com/419679105

Our HNC Social Services students recently took their learning from the classroom into the Scottish Parliament!

The students' trip highlighted the connection between classroom discussions, social care theories and the working of the Scottish Government.

The students not only enjoyed a tour of the parliament building but also observed the First Minister's questions, a debate and met a minister before returning to the College all in the one day!

Skills for life and work students at Langside Campus recently held a bric-a-brac sale on to raise funds for Barnardo’s. Selling a range of items donated by students and staff, the students raised an amazing £220 for the charity.

The bric-a-brac sale allowed students to develop several core and interpersonal skills in a practical setting when planning, delivering and reflecting on tasks. Many of the skills are transfrable to the world of work which is vital for the students.

The work of the College's fashion students was showcased at the recent Incorporation of Tailors - Deacon's Choosing Dinner at the Trades House of Glasgow.

Students from Fashion Technology and Fashion Design modelled jackets designed and made by First Year Technology and Fashion Design students from their Design and Make and Graded Unit Projects during the evening. Second and First Year students also styled and dressed the models on the night.

The catwalk also featured a jacket that was chosen as winner of the Fashion Advanced Category at Craftex 2019 and all garments were well received on the evening by the guests that attended.

Glasgow Clyde College has launched an innovative recycling initiative which aims to help students and local communities with valuable resources for learning, and to reduce digital social exclusion.

Gift-tech recycles the College’s old Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) equipment by cleaning, wiping and refurbing PCs and laptops and restoring them to a workable state allowing them to be used by students or local community groups. The College is one of the first FE establishments in Scotland to be granted Microsoft Refurbisher Program status to allow them to achieve this.

A community project run by Glasgow Clyde College and the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice has been Highly Commended at a national awards ceremony held at the Houses of Parliament.

The ‘Beauty with a Conscience’ social enterprise beat off stiff competition from salons and barbershops across the UK to receive a Highly Commended in the Community Impact category at the Hair and Beauty Community Awards.

Beauty with a Conscience offers high quality, ethical beauty treatments at the same time as raising vital funds for one of Scotland’s most loved charities.