Oatridge Achievements in 2006
Girl farriers forge success in "a man's world"
March 2006
Two women farriers have every right to feel they have made their own lucky horseshoes, after hammering out success in the "man's world" of the forge.
One, Sarah Mary Brown, works in Penrith and attends Oatridge College in West Lothian and has just been named Scottish Landbased Learner of 2005 by Lantra, the sector skills council. Fellow Oatridge student, Sarah Logie, from Beauly in Inverness-shire has become the first woman in British farriery history to qualify with Honours in her final Diploma exams for the Worshipful Company of Farriers (WCF), the governing body for the ancient craft.
Now it's the "Grain Drain" - Scots greenkeepers a hit on US courses
April 2006
Two young Scottish-trained greenkeepers find themselves at the heart of meticulous preparations for the 2006 US Open golf championship, which is being held between June 16 and 18 at New York's famous Winged Foot club. Stewart Macfarlane and Danny Murray are part of a growing "Grain Drain" which has so far seen a total of ten former greenkeeping students of Oatridge College in West Lothian travel to the States to gain invaluable experience on some of the 
country's and the world's best courses.
Both are part of a programme run by Ohio State University, which sends young American greenkeepers all over the world to develop their skills and understanding and offers "internships" to young men and women from Europe and elsewhere, who want to broaden their experience.
Green fingered Ann picks up Gold
June 2006
Oatridge College in West Lothian and its satellite Suntrap Garden at Gogarbank in Edinburgh have emerged with a "bouquet" of four medals from the prestigious Gardening Scotland show at Ingliston.
The pick of the bunch is a Gold picked up by Ann Burns, the College's Horticulture Team Leader, and a team of her students for a design created for the gardening charity, Perennial, but there was also a silver-gilt for the support group Friends of Suntrap, and bronze medals for a project involving Pinewood Special School at Blackburn and Cedarbank Special School at Livingston, and for the Suntrap Gardening Club.
Scottish Modern Apprenticeship Awards 2006
October 2006
As the golf course manager at one of Scotland's oldest clubs, Alan Gibson knows academic learning and on the job training is vital to the future of the sport in Scotland. And West Lothian Golf Club has certainly produced a steady stream of talented greenkeepers over the years.
While apprentices at the club have always completed their formal education and training at the nearby Oatridge College, since the launch of the Modern Apprenticeship programme in 1994, the partnership between the club and college has gone from strength to strength. Oatridge College principal David James said: "The college is delighted to work in partnership with West Lothian Golf Club in supporting its commitment to the training of young people through the Modern Apprenticeship programme."
Greenkeeper Danny on the fairway to a glittering career
October 2006
A young Scots greenkeeper who has just returned to his home turf with glowing references from two of America's greatest golf courses, has landed a dream job at one of the England's top ten clubs.
Twenty-five year old Danny Murray, from Balerno near Edinburgh, was scarcely off the plane from the States, when he was signed up by Wentworth to work on its three championship-standard courses in Surrey. Danny trained at Oatridge College in West Lothian and thanks to his tutors there, crossed the Atlantic to take up a year-long internship at Pinehurst, "the cradle of American golf", in North Carolina.
LISS lands a double
November 2006
LISS, the Landbased Industries Support Service run from Oatridge College, has been "Highly Commended" in two categories of the prestigious West Lothian Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards, and placed third overall.
The service was set up less than two years ago to offer small to medium rural businesses a "One stop shop" for advice, support and training. Chris Wond, the project manager, says: "I could hardly be more delighted. This validates everything we are trying to do and shows that we are very much on the right track." The service was recognised in the Innovation and Customer
Service categories.