The non-departmental funder of Scotland’s further and higher education
A wave of studies and editorials shows AI is changing employability and subject satisfaction. Data indicate graduate outcomes and subject choices are shifting, while institutions adapt through curricula reforms, micro-credentials and new funding models. Readers are guided to follow original sources for details.
Audit Scotland shows a collective 35.6m deficit for Scotland7s 19 colleges in 2024/25, up from 31.9m. Real-terms funding remains 7.5% below 2021, with more colleges relying on short-term SFC loans. Audits warn reform is overdue while government and agencies act slowly.
A surge of stories across outlets highlights AI-guided applications, networking as a key to opportunities, and youth employment programs. Older workers re-entering the labour market face discrimination and fatigue from repeated applications, while young people grapple with underemployment and the decline in teenage work. Readers are seeing varied strategies—AI tailoring, direct networking, and targeted employment programs—emerge as responses.
The University of Glasgow faces a fatal accident inquiry after a student, Ethan Brown, 23, from Coatbridge, died in December 2024 following an incorrect grade notification that he had failed a course. The university has apologised and is implementing recommendations from reviews; a civil settlement has been reached with the family, who are pushing for accountability and broader reforms across Scottish universities.