02
AYRSHIRE UPDATE
INTRODUCing
OUR VICE PRINCIPALS
A BOLD curriculum which
helps students fulfil their full
potential, the best teaching
staff in the country and the
chance to build a robust,
transparent organisation
from the grass roots up are
at the heart of the new Vice
Principals’ vision for the
future of Ayrshire College.
Bernadette McGuire, Michael Breen
and Jane McKie have been named
as VPs in the latest round of staff
appointments following a rigorous
recruitment process and take on the
roles of VP Learning and Teaching,
VP Corporate Services and VP
Human Resources and Organisational
Wellbeing respectively.
Learning and
Teaching VP,
Bernadette McGuire,
believes the merger
will create a “seven
star” college for
Scotland.
“The new Ayrshire College brings
together all of the great practice and
enthusiasm from the existing three
colleges under one umbrella,” she
explains.
“The focus for my team is to build
a demand-led curriculum which
encourages students and staff to work
together and with employers and
stakeholders. Everyone needs to know
what is being delivered and understand
why it is being delivered - it’s about
giving people a sense of ownership.
“There is a real buzz building about
Ayrshire College so we have to capture
that excitement and enthusiasm for
change and deliver a curriculum that
meets the needs not just of our
students, but of employers and the
wider community.”
Ayrshire college senior management team structure
principal and
chief executive
vice principal
Learning
and Teaching
vice principal
corporate
services
Director
of Student
Services
Director
of finance
and student
funding
Director
of Quality
Enhancement
Director
of
ict & mis
Director of
Learning
and skills x 5
vice principal
human
resources and
organisational
wellbeing
vice principal
strategy,
planning
and
performance
Director
of estates
Corporate Services
VP, Michael Breen,
agrees. “This is an
exciting opportunity
to help shape a new
organisation, to
bring together the
best of all three existing colleges and
make that the standard for the new
Ayrshire College,” he says.
Michael’s remit includes Finance, IT,
Estates and information services.
“One of our biggest strengths is our
location,” he adds. “We will be able
to build on our strong roots in North,
East and South Ayrshire across our
campuses, and the £50m development
planned for Kilmarnock will provide us
with a stunning, state-of-the-art
building.”
Director of
human
resources
and
organisational
development
Director of
education
contracts and
business
development
HR and
Organisational
Wellbeing VP Jane
McKie and her team
will be responsible
for the delivery of
high quality,
customer focused HR and OD services
for all staff in a positive working
environment where everyone knows
they are supported and valued.
“Staff must be involved every step of
the way in the development of a culture
of honesty, transparency and inclusivity
where leadership is set by example.”
she says.
“Staff are our most important resource
and the merger will allow us to invest in
them and bring together the best from
all three colleges.
“I will ensure we have the right staff, in
the right place at the right time to make
our students’ experience in Ayrshire the
best it can possibly be.”