Heriot-Watt secures funding to develop employer-led skills routes for Scotland’s growth sectors
Heriot-Watt University will develop new employer-led learning routes in energy transition, advanced manufacturing, health, environment and digital industries, following a funding award from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC).
Through this partnership, we will broaden opportunities for learners and help develop the talent needed to support innovation and economic growth, creating lasting impact for employers and communities throughout Scotland.
Professor Nola Hewitt-Dundas
Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University
The project, known as ASPIRE, is supported through the SFC’s University Transformation Framework (UTF) and will be delivered in partnership with the University of Stirling and the University of the Highlands and Islands.
Professor Nola Hewitt-Dundas, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, said: “At Heriot-Watt, we are committed to equipping people with the skills and confidence to succeed in a rapidly changing world while helping industry address some of society’s most pressing challenges. ASPIRE represents that ambition, creating flexible, industry-informed learning pathways in areas that are critical to Scotland’s future prosperity.
“Through this partnership, we will broaden opportunities for learners and help develop the talent needed to support innovation and economic growth, creating lasting impact for employers and communities throughout Scotland.”
Helen Cross, SFC Director of Investment and Research, said: “This project demonstrates the innovative and collaborative approach we want to support through the University Transformation Framework. By bringing Heriot-Watt University, the University of Stirling and the University of the Highlands and Islands together with employers, it will create more flexible learning routes while helping to deliver the skills Scotland needs in areas including energy transition and advanced manufacturing.”
ASPIRE is one of five university-led initiatives funded through the second tranche of the UTF, which supports projects designed to drive collaboration, align learning with employer needs and strengthen the long-term sustainability of Scotland’s tertiary education sector.