Growing farming apprentices at home
August 2009
Future crops of agricultural apprentices could be more "home grown" than ever before, thanks to a switch to flexible, work-based learning to be introduced by Oatridge College, one of Scotland's leading centres for landbased education and training.
Under the new programme, students studying for Scottish Vocational Qualifications in Agriculture (Mixed Farming) will spend just two weeks a year at the College in West Lothian, while developing their knowledge and skills on the job and being monitored by tutors and a visiting assessor. Previously they would have been away from work for six weeks in a year.
Peter Scott, who heads the agriculture team at Oatridge, says: "We listened to farmers and one of the most important things they told us was that they couldn't afford to have their apprentices away for prolonged periods at College. This way the apprentices will get the skills and knowledge the industry needs and the qualifications they want, without putting too much strain on their employers."
Oatridge offers new paths to a countryside career
July 2009
Students starting out on the popular Higher National Certificate course in Countryside and Environmental Management at Oatridge College in West Lothian from autumn are to be offered new paths to "green" careers.
Until now the main option at the end of the HNC course was to progress to a Higher National Diploma in Countryside Management, but since the start of the summer break the College's team of expert environmental tutors has revamped the programme and students starting in September can also go on to study Rural Resource Management, Environmental Management or Sustainable Environmental Management.
"It has been about giving the HNC students more choice by keeping the course up to date, more exciting and more relevant to the needs and demands of employers in the sector," says Sarah Reay, one of the HNC tutors.
College uncovers "weapons of grass destruction"
June 2009
Top level diplomacy has defused a potential row over "weapons of grass destruction", which threatened war - or at least serious grumpiness - between two of the most popular departments at Oatridge College in West Lothian.
The situation developed when Equine Department's string of horses was let loose on prime pasture land on the College estate and, according to Agriculture supremo Peter Scott, "turned it into something resembling the Somme". Matters only got worse when intelligence leaks revealed that the normally mild-mannered Scott had taken to describing (cue Gene Autry, the Singing Cowboy) "those wonderful one, two, three, four-legged friends" as "four-legged fiends" and worse, "weapons of grass destruction".
Peacekeepers, in the shape of senior College management, were called in and eventually resolved the looming conflict by agreeing to the acquisition of a horse walker, the equestrian equivalent of a treadmill. In a conciliatory move, Scott even agreed to "volunteer" his farming students to collect and install the large metal structure next to the College stables...and well away from grazing land for cattle.
College "Beetles off" with gardening gold
June 2009
A team from Oatridge College in West Lothian has "Beetled off" with a gold medal from the Gardening Scotland show in Edinburgh, for a glowing display of flowers planted up in a clapped out model of the iconic Volkswagon car. The award was the centrepiece of a bouquet of prizes picked up by the College at the prestigious event.
Horticulture experts Ann Burns and John Smith called in engineering technician John Mallon to advise on the design their quirky exhibit, entitled Perennial Petal Power, carried out on behalf of the retired gardeners' charity, Perennial. College students were drafted in to help turn the 38 year-old Beetle into the "Best Show Garden".
It is the third year in the last four that Ann and John Smith have taken top prizes working with Perennial at Scotland's largest gardening show. Two years ago they won "Best in Show" with a garden created from recycled junk, including old car tyres and Irn Bru cans and the year before they won a gold medal for a less controversial East coast-themed garden.
Rural Colleges forge triple alliance
May 2009
Scotland's three leading "landbased" vocational Colleges have signed a far-reaching, formal agreement to strengthen academic co-operation, share best practice and work together to boost rural industries by increasing recruitment and skill levels.
The consortium formed by Elmwood College in Fife, Oatridge College in West Lothian, and Barony College in Dumfries will be jointly marketed at home and abroad as Scottish Countryside Colleges (SCC) and takes to a new level close relationships stretching back several years.
SCC will act as a focus, where appropriate, when bidding for funding and represent the landbased sector's views at regional and national level.
The formal signing ceremony in Edinburgh was also attended by representatives of the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC), marking the determination of all four institutions to improve the flow of students from Scottish Countryside Colleges to degree level education.
Students rescue George Gray's historic orchard
April 2009
Horticulture and landscaping students from Oatridge College in West Lothian have helped rescue the historic orchard beloved by the late George Gray, one of the pioneers of modern farming techniques in Scotland.
The College answered a call for help from the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society, which supervised a massive operation to prune more than 100 trees on the Smeaton Estate near East Linton in East Lothian.
The Estate was created by the Hepburn family almost 500 years ago and was owned by the prominent farmer and arboriculturist George Gray since 1934 until his death after a long illness, aged 88, last year. His widow Anne still lives at Smeaton.
College seeks experts to travel the world
April 2009
Oatridge College in West Lothian has launched a new initiative aimed at spreading Scottish expertise in the rural industries around the globe. Oatridge International, headed by Adrian Kitchen, the Director of Business and Curriculum Development, is seeking skilled trainers and practitioners in a wide range of disciplines, who will be willing to spend anything from three weeks to six months or more abroad, working on international development projects.
Scotland's premier centre for landbased education and training has already had success in Botswana, where the College, through a contract from the Scottish Qualifications Authority, helped the African country's Department of Vocational Education and Training ratify recently updated agricultural education courses.
Kitchen says: "Currently Oatridge has attracted interest from Colleges in South Africa, India and China, which are looking for Scottish expertise in the development of new services and products. I am currently drawing up a database of experts who will be willing to go out from Scotland to work, not just with colleges in education and training, but with local businesses as well."
Broxburn's champion dogs have pedigree chums at the SNEC
March 2009
A team from Broxburn Dog Training Club, which took one of the top prizes at Crufts, the world's greatest canine show, say they have their pedigree chums at Oatridge College to thank for their success.
The club's Flyball Team - the Broxburn Bandits - has returned to West Lothian as Champions after a thrilling final against three other teams in front of a capacity audience and told staff at the College and its on-campus Scottish National Equestrian Centre: "Without your help we could not have done this".
The team of five dogs and their handlers, managed and trained by Margaret Butchart, practise regularly at the Centre and in the run-up to the Crufts event were allowed more time and space to perfect their winning technique.
Margaret wins Parliamentary plaudits
March 2009
Margaret Manson, the newly elected captain of the mixed-membership Binny Golf Club at Oatridge College, has gone into the Scottish Parliament's records for "representing a great step towards achieving equality for women" at clubs all over Scotland.
A Parliamentary Motion congratulating Margaret was tabled by Livingston MSP Angela Constance and supported by SNP colleagues Alasdair Allan, the member for the Western Isles and Aileen Campbell, who represents the South of Scotland.
Ms Constance's Motion reads: "Congratulations to Margaret Manson on Election as Captain of the Binny Golf Club - That this Parliament congratulates Margaret Manson on her notable election as Captain of the mixed-membership Binny Golf Club at the Oatridge College course in West Lothian; acknowledges that this represents a great step towards achieving equality for women involved with mixed-membership golf clubs, and hopes that this will encourage more women throughout Scotland to obtain leadership positions in mixed-membership golf clubs."
Project aims to grow green-fingered apprentices
March 2009
The City of Edinburgh Council and Oatridge College in West Lothian have launched a partnership project aimed at helping school leavers grow into careers in horticulture and landscaping, looking after the Capital's 135 parks and hundreds of acres of green space.
Six teenagers are now undergoing a ten-week pilot programme of training at the specialist landbased college at Ecclesmachan, while on placement with the Council's parks and greenspace department. Successful completion of the course could lead the youngsters to a full time job and an apprenticeship, which will take them back to Oatridge for further qualifications.
The Pre-apprenticeship programme is a first for the Council's Young Persons' Apprenticeship Programme and is being overseen by Brenda Baxter, as Manager. She says: "These six lads have been with us since December and started at Oatridge in January, so the end of March is a kind of halfway point for them. We'll sit down with them then and see how they're progressing. If they're on target, they'll be allowed to continue at Oatridge for a further ten weeks, which will take them up to the start of the College's apprenticeship programme (in September). By that time they will have been taken through the Council's recruitment process and all being well, they'll go ahead and start their apprenticeship."
Oatridge students top Lantra Awards
March 2009
Oatridge College in West Lothian has continued its amazing run of success at Lantra Scotland's prestigious Landbased Learner of the Year Awards, with three students picking up top prizes at this year's event.
Colin Smith, who is 22 and from Blackburn, was named Overall Runner-up Landbased Learner of the Year, while 18 year old Mark McKenzie, from Fauldhouse, who last month won the title of Horticulture Student of the Year by the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society, was given the new Award for Endeavour.
The third Oatridge prize winner was 19 year old agriculture student Kenny O'Connor from Skye, who was declared Higher Education Learner of the Year.
The awards ceremony, which was held in the Crieff Hydro Hotel and was attended by the Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Richard Lochhead, who praised the 60 nominees for the prizes and the organisations which provide training and skills for the sector.
Newt kids on the chop
February 2009
Teams of Countryside Management students from Oatridge College in West Lothian are at the forefront of efforts to halt the decline in numbers of the Great Crested Newt, which is near the top of the list of priority species under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.
The students, who are taking Higher National Certificate or Diploma courses at Scotland's leading centre for "landbased" education and training, have been working to improve the creatures' habitat on West Lothian's only designated Local Nature Reserve, Easter Inch Moss and Seafield Law, before the breeding season in the spring.
The Great Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus) is the largest of three newt species in the UK, growing to 15 centimetres or five inches long. It can be found right across the country but its numbers have been falling rapidly because of the destruction of its habitat. There are thought to be less than 1,000 individuals in Scotland. It is protected under European legislation.
Students from Oatridge have been working on the Easter Inch Moss and Seafield Law site since before it was designated a Local Nature Reserve in 2006.
Margaret drives golf club revolution
January 2009
Margaret Manson is amused by the idea that she has struck a blow for feminism, but the silver-haired, specialist children's nurse, proud mum of two and avid home-baking, charity fundraiser has just joined an elite group of women golfers, by being elected Captain of the mixed-membership Binny club at the Oatridge College course in West Lothian.
The fifty-something from Livingston admits that she was apprehensive about taking on the job: "When last year's Captain proposed me, I was unsure how the membership would take it, but they have been very supportive". In fact she was elected unanimously by the 250 members, who include just 18 other women.
"I accept that I'm still one of a few women in this position, but it is the 21st century," says Margaret. That is as close as she gets to commenting on the lot of women in Scottish golf clubs, but Brian Inglis, the course manager at Oatridge, says: "It's rare enough for ladies and gents to be on a equal footing, paying the same fees for the same playing rights etc, but almost unheard of for a lady to be a full club captain. It's just not going to happen in about 90% of Scottish clubs in our lifetime."
Traveller Mark takes top horticulture award
January 2009
A 17 year old Romany Gypsy traveller, who left school when he was just 10 years old to go to work in his family's landscaping business, has won Scotland's most prestigious award for horticulture students.
Mark McKenzie, who is currently studying part-time for a Higher National Certificate in Landscape Management at the specialist Oatridge College in West Lothian, was presented with the Carter Patterson Memorial Medal by the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society at a ceremony in Edinburgh.
The Society, which is now in its Bicentenary year, recognised Mark's skills and his success in overcoming a lack of formal education to emerge as "Best Student" at the end of a National Certificate course in landscape construction and design at Oatridge.
The McKenzies now have a permanent base at Fauldhouse in West Lothian for their itinerant lifestyle, but as a child, Mark attended four different primary schools in the Scottish Borders and Ayrshire. His secondary education consisted of two months of "on-and-off" distance learning organised by the Save the Children charity, as he travelled around the UK and Europe with his family.