Capital College supports delivery of AI for training for staff
Edinburgh College is part of a group of colleges in Scotland which are helping educators boost their Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills, amid growing student demand for data learning.
The workforce development programmes at Edinburgh, Fife, West Lothian and Borders colleges will also equip staff to teach Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) courses.
Launching in April as part of the Data Skills Gateway, the training will provide an understanding of AI principles, applications and ethical considerations, as well as practical skills work in creating and evaluating AI models.
Upon completion, staff should be able to deliver the SQA’s newly released AI units, which can be offered through the National Progression Award in Computing Technologies or on a standalone basis.
College Employers Scotland (CES), the national body for colleges as employers, is highlighting this professional learning milestone to mark International Day of Education (24 January 2025). The day’s focus this year is on how education can help individuals and communities navigate, understand and influence AI and other forms of technological advancement.
Edinburgh, Fife, West Lothian and Borders colleges have already delivered digital and data learning to more than 8,000 individuals thanks to the Data Education in Colleges project. Among those benefitting are young people engaged in school-college partnerships, the unemployed, members of black and minority ethnic communities, and women returners.
By empowering educators with the skills to explore AI, we are preparing students for the future while enabling communities to succeed in an increasingly digital world. Digital education at colleges in Edinburgh and south-east Scotland is going from strength to strength, with thousands benefitting from the provision on offer. The new professional learning initiative will support colleges to reach and teach thousands more.David Hiddleston, Curriculum Portfolio Manager at the Data Skills Gateway Programme
This innovative and exciting programme builds on the extensive development activity which has supported college staff from all four colleges in the region over the last six years to further develop digital skills and knowledge. As well as directly benefitting from the programme content, the opportunity afforded for staff to come together and discuss the opportunities and challenges that this rapidly evolving area brings is invaluable.Simon Earp, Vice-Principal at West Lothian College
AI training for college staff is just one example of the innovation taking place right across Scotland’s colleges as places of world-class learning. Echoing the focus of this year’s International Day of Education, this training also shows how colleges are strengthening staff, students and communities in their relationship with AI.Gavin Donoghue, CES Director