The importance of partnership with other agencies comes to the fore in stressful times.
Lecturer with the Transitions to Learning & Work programme, Joann Duffy, informs us of a wonderful example of collaboration from one of our partners to support vulnerable students in lockdown.
The Transitions programme is targeted at young people from a care-experienced background, many of whom have limited access to resources and support networks. The College works closely with Action For Children Scotland to ensure the young person receives a holistic and individual level of support which addresses their needs, whether these are financial, emotional or basic information and guidance. The STAY project with Action for Children is a regional partnership through GCRB with skilled advisors working with each of the Glasgow colleges to help students sustain and continue their studies.
One student had reported that she was struggling to complete her work due to lack of IT resources and was anxious she would be unable to complete her course work. To add further frustration and stress, she had a presentation and online interview for a childcare apprenticeship coming up.
Access to IT resources is a crucial issue for online learning plans – students may not have connectivity at home or, indeed, be able to afford sufficient data for their phone.
Action for Children stepped in and provided her with a shiny new chromebook to get her up and running. She was absolutely overjoyed to get a laptop of her very own. Without a laptop our student could have been facing an additional barrier that could result in her missing out on a future positive destination.
It’s great to see these little acts of #kindness which can make a huge difference to someone’s life and life chances and we’re very grateful that our most vulnerable students have access to the service.
Joann reports that a further student has now received a chromebook and is powering through the coursework!
We thank Joann for her commitment to our students, and our splendid partners at Action for Children Scotland. We look forward to continuing our work with them in the ‘new normal’.