Three hundred staff at West Lothian College celebrated the presentation of the prestigious Investors in People Gold award at their annual conference in August.
Investors in People has been recognised internationally for thirty years as a leading people accreditation with four levels - Standard, Silver, Gold and Platinum. West Lothian College achieved the Standard award in 2016, Silver in 2019, followed by Gold in 2022.
Achieving Gold means the college joins just 16% of accredited UK employers at this level.
Emily McKerchar, director at Remarkable, the organisation licensed to deliver Investors in People in Scotland, presented the award to college board members and principal Jackie Galbraith. She praised the college for being ‘absolutely people focused, a place with a robust culture and clear set of values and behaviours that permeate both decision-making and interactions.’
Achieving this award was especially impressive given that the reassessment period covered the three years from May 2019 when, for more than two-thirds of that time, college leaders and staff were focused on supporting students and each other safely through a pandemic. This was acknowledged in the assessment report that stated:
“Against a backdrop of change, fatigue and upheaval, the aim for many organisations has been to hold steady at their prior accreditation award level. Not only have you been reaccredited, you’ve achieved the next higher level of award, the GOLD award. This is a phenomenal achievement!”
Principal of West Lothian College, Jackie Galbraith said:
“I’m very proud that the college has achieved Investors in People Gold for investing in and making work better for our staff. We have great people working at the college and that has a big impact on our students. Everyone who works here, from the cleaners to the lecturers, is totally focused on helping students get the most out of being at college. We will keep working hard to make the college an even better place for people to work and study.”
Bonnie Clarke, Chief Executive of Remarkable said:
“This is a fantastic achievement for West Lothian College! Investors in People recognises organisations who are truly committed to their people and continuous improvement. We are delighted to see their ongoing dedication recognised with this Gold award.”
West Lothian College, based in Livingston, offers a wide range of further and higher education courses to 9,000 students each year. All staff at the college are focused on inspiring and enabling success for all, strengthening communities, and supporting economic recovery and growth.