Dundee and Angus College’s new leader said the institution has a key role to play in the recovery of the city and region from the coronavirus crisis.
Simon Hewitt took over as principal at the start of this month, having been announced as the successor of Grant Ritchie just before lockdown.
He said the college can help equip those who have lost jobs over the last few months to retrain for work and provide local employers with the skilled workforces they need.
Mr Hewitt, previously vice-principal, said the college, which has two main campuses in Dundee and one in Arbroath, must take the opportunity to plug the skills gap.
Around 1,000 students have recently returned to the college to complete courses cut short by lockdown in March, while the rest of the student body will resume courses or begin on September 21.
The college provides a diverse range of courses, including in agriculture and animal care, engineering, construction, art and design, health and social care and travel and tourism.
Limited face-to-face teaching in practical subject areas will be combined with remote learning, as physical distancing requirements remain in place.
Mr Hewitt said: “The college must be at the heart of social and economic recovery within this region.
“Already, Tayside region has lost 1,000 jobs and this is going to increase.
“In the latest ONS statistics that came out the other day Dundee had amongst the largest increase in unemployment.
“We have to play a big part given our reach. For us, 98% of our students are from the Dundee and Angus area so we do more for adult skills training than anyone else.”
Green energy and digital skills were among the industries where there were opportunities for the college to help people upskill and reskill for work in areas of growth, he said.
Greater collaboration with other organisations, including education and training bodies and local authorities, had been an unintended benefit of the new normal created by the pandemic, he said
“No one organisation can fix this alone. We have to work together,” he said.
Mr Hewitt also said he was eager to welcome staff and students back to the campuses six months after lockdown began.
He said: “First and foremost a college is a community and we have all types of learners with all backgrounds and all circumstances.
“In a lot of cases our students come to college to come to college, to be on site and get that support, working with staff and being with peers and colleagues.
“For me a college is a vital part of the community.
“To be open again is great, albeit it will be in a limited manner, so instead of our full-time students being in two-and-a-half days they are likely to be in around a day a week, which is just enough to help them do all their practical work and still have that community feel.
“The rest of the time they will be supported remotely, like prior to the summer break.”
New procedures and processes have been tested for the college’s operation with restrictions still in place so buildings are ready to welcome greater numbers of students next month.
