he same day, a new report was published by the cross-party Education, Children and Young People Committee into the effects of the new regional organisation which reduced the number of Scottish FE colleges from 41 in 2011 to 26 now, with Telford, Stevenson and Jewel & Esk combining to form Edinburgh College ten years ago.

To a degree it has been a success, producing economies of scale and giving the new colleges the ability to form partnerships with big private organisations. But the committee unanimously agreed that more government funding, more flexibility, and clearer priorities are needed to put the sector on a truly sustainable footing.

It’s no secret FE colleges have been starved of resources while coping with complex reorganisation, and it’s a small miracle they continue to make such a positive impact on the employment and education landscape, with 277,620 course enrolments in 2020-21.