Choose College Strategy Novemeber 2023 by Borders College

Scotland’s College Sector Communications and Marketing Strategic Plan

Choose College A strategic framework to promote and raise awareness of the Scottish College Sector.

Prepared by: CDN Marketing & Communications Network Group Date: November 2023

Contents Background

Strategic Aim

Core Objectives

Scotland’s College Sector

Audiences

Channels

Key Messages

Guiding Principles

Key Dates and External Influences for 23/24

Timings, Implementation and Milestones for 23/24

Evaluation and Measurement

colleges communicating collaboratively with one voice Colleges use digital innovation, knowledge exchange and industry partnerships to enable the development of a skilled workforce that is supporting the economy.

Background The purpose of our strategy is to provide a framework to promote and raise awareness of the Scottish College sector at a national level. The aim is to reach our diverse audiences with clear and consistent messaging and demonstrate the significant impact the sector has, both locally and nationally. The campaign will also provide a vehicle to support recruitment across a variety of delivery modes. Our strategy is flexible in order to adapt to any changing circumstances and will provide a clear roadmap to allow our 26 colleges to communicate collaboratively with one voice, whilst highlighting regional specialisms and helping to meet local and national priorities. The strategy also aligns activities with national priorities and initiatives, including:

- Scottish Government's National Performance Framework - Developing the Young Workforce - Digital Ambition - Commission for the College of the Future - SFC Review of Further and Higher Education - Cumberford-Little Report - James Withers Review - Hayward Review - Scottish Government Purpose & Principles - Colleges Scotland and CDN - Fraser of Allandar Research Paper (The economic contribution of colleges in Scotland)

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Strategic Aim

Where we started…

Our journey so far…

Choose College was created by the College Development Network (CDN) Marketing and Communications Network in June 2020. It was deployed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic to promote the many benefits colleges bring to society and the economy across Scotland.

In 2022, Choose College experienced a step change in scale and impact through a mix of platforms, including TV and digital marketing, with a strong focus on social media.

The Marketing and Communications Network recognised the potential for increasing the campaign's impact. This was an opportunity to really highlight the college sector and position it as a destination of choice for students across the country and beyond. Choose College's marketing and promotional activities had been organic and tactical, with colleges working together through CDN to pool resources and collaborate on a national campaign at critical points in the year. However, after securing SFC support, the campaign became a national, research-led initiative.

This national campaign was informed through a national research project providing insights on perceptions of College from key groups such as school pupils, parents and employers. This strategic change came at a critical time for colleges, with the national Choose College campaign complementing local marketing campaigns to help address the many recruitment challenges facing the sector.

College graduates will boost Scotland’s economy by

£52 Billion 4

Choose College was shortlisted for a Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Award for Best Public Sector Campaign 2023.

The next chapter… The college sector sits at the heart of the Learner Journey – providing 95% of its students with positive destinations from employment pathways to higher education. With the right resources, a high impact, high profile national Choose College campaign offers a powerful vehicle to bring together and raise awareness of the variety of current opportunities open to students across different target markets. Colleges are catalysts for local communities, and our impact should not be underestimated or overlooked.

If we truly believe in the benefits of colleges within Scottish society – to produce the skills required to provide opportunities to all, to empower local economies and energise local communities, to develop the small business owners, tradespeople and employment industries of tomorrow – we need to act now! Our strategic plan is our roadmap to build on the success of Choose College and to help us position ourselves as a sector that develops the workforce of the future and offers opportunities for all.

With one collective voice – the possibilities are endless. Scotland's colleges are anchor institutions within the regions where they operate, helping to support employment and generating significant economic activity in the sectors that are most important to Scotland's current and future prosperity.

Core Objectives

OBJECTIVE ONE

1 OBJECTIVE TWO

Increase understanding and awareness of the college sector locally and nationally. We will do this by: • Delivering an annual “National College Week” to raise awareness of the sector to a range of audiences • Planning a series of on and offline events to showcase the sector per annum • Showcasing the impact of the sector through Colleges Scotland key facts and other sector-wide data • Delivering our choose college annual campaigns that supports all college activities and addresses local and national priorities Position the college sector as a catalyst for delivering economic success, locally and national. We will do this by:

• Actively communicating with employers, parents/carers and stakeholders across a range of channels • Promoting the positive destinations and success of our learners • Delivering our choose college annual campaigns that supports recruitment across a range of attendance modes • Raising awareness of the choose college for our ability to deliver skills and training in line with the needs of industry

OBJECTIVE THREE

Promote and protect the reputation of the College Sector. We will do this by: • Raising awareness of the sector through proactive media relations locally, nationally and internationally • Exploring national campaigns and initiatives to align with our marketing and comms activities • Building our sector profile through enhanced social media engagement and maximising content published from colleges across the sector • Promoting the sector through case studies and endorsements • Sharing requests and media enquiries to ensure a collective response • Develop a robust stakeholder engagement plan at a local and national level.

OBJECTIVE FOUR

4 OBJECTIVE FIVE

Develop and maintain a brand identity that aligns with our core values. We will do this by: • Delivering joint research projects for the sector to shape our campaigns • Creating high impact visuals that reach our diverse range of audiences and can be tailored for local priorities • Developing digital content in line with new accessibility legislation to ensure our messages are inclusive to all • Developing our choose college campaigns that complements individual college brands and building a strong and influential voice for the sector

Generate a sense of pride to work, study and engage with the College sector. We will do this by: • Sharing good practice and celebrating the success of all 26 Colleges across a range of channels • Building a sector-wide alumni network to endorse the work of the sector and align with CDN’s Hall of Fame • Developing an ambassador programme to promote the sector through our workforce • Raising awareness of the impact the sector has in our local communities through our work with partner agencies and third sector • Promoting the college sector as the employer of choice

Choose 95% College

of care-experienced individuals went onto a positive destination after completing their college course.

Scotland’s College Sector Scotland’s 26 colleges are the anchor points of local communities, supporting individuals of all ages and backgrounds to gain skills and qualifications, helping the most disadvantaged and furthest from the labour market, and powering regional economies by delivering the skilled workforce that businesses need. As an agile, collaborative, and inclusive national asset, colleges will play a vital role in nurturing Scotland's economic, social and educational potential; maximising employment opportunities for people and addressing the mental health and wellbeing of our communities.

Audiences

Primary School Pupils

School Leavers

Adult Learners

Career Changer/ Career Development

Employer

Skills for Work

Modern Apprenticeships

FT and PT Courses

Skills Training

School-College Partnership Courses

Full-time Courses

Graduate Apprenticeships

Evening Courses

Trade Compliance Training

Foundation Apprenticeships

Pre-Apprenticeships

Evening Courses

Flexible/Online Learning

Modern & Graduate Apprenticeships

Partnership Degrees

Flexible and Online Learning

Partnership Degrees

Flexible Workforce Development Fund

Partnership Degrees

CPD and Business Skills Workbased Qualifications and SVQs

Secondary Parents/ Carers

Sector Agencies

Teachers

Politicians

Strategic Partners

Local Authorities

Media

Alumni

Career Advisors

Channels In order to effectively engage with our key audiences, this strategy will adopt a range of online and offline channels.

Press and Media

Broadcast Media

Internal Communications

Partner channels eg Education Scotland, SDS, FSB and Young Scot's website and email newsletters

Campaign landing pages on all college websites

Channels Public Affairs Digital Marketing

Social Media

Events Outdoor Advertising

Key Messages The college sector delivers so many opportunities for individuals and organisations. Therefore, we want our campaign messaging to be simple, meaningful and adaptable, and one, which is backed up with robust data and evidence to help our audiences understand the critical role we play in the education and skills landscape in Scotland.

52%

of all College graduates progress to University

Choose College Scotland’s Colleges

DELIVER… for the Economy

Keyfacts

Scotland’s Colleges

DELIVER…

y t i s r e v i n u o t s y pathwa

Scotland’s Colleges

DELIVER…

rses

career changing cou

Top Strategic Messaging to Primary Audiences Examples: • • • • • • • • • •

Scotland’s Colleges deliver for the economy Scotland’s Colleges deliver skills for industry Scotland’s Colleges deliver pathways to university Scotland’s Colleges deliver for the Green Economy Scotland’s Colleges deliver courses to start your career journey Scotland’s Colleges deliver courses to enhance your career Scotland’s Colleges deliver courses to change your career Scotland’s Colleges deliver for your local community Scotland’s Colleges deliver routes to employment Scotland’s Colleges deliver for your child’s future

Tailored Strategic Messaging Examples: • • •

Scotland’s Colleges deliver for the Hospitality Sector Scotland’s Colleges deliver for the Third Sector Scotland’s Colleges deliver for the NHS

Tailored Local Messaging Examples: • • •

Forth Valley College delivers for the economy Forth Valley College delivers for the Construction sector Forth Valley College delivers for your local community 13

Guiding Principles

These guiding principles will maximise impact through all our Communications and Marketing activities: • • • • • • •

Always being consistent with our messages Ensuring consistency of communication style, quality and tone Raise awareness and demonstrate our impact Communicating the right message at the right time Delivering campaigns that aligns with the values of the sector Using high quality film, photography, visual imagery and appropriate communication channels for maximum impact and engagement Using our existing students and client groups, where possible

•

Always seek to respond and provide comment when asked by the media

Communicate collectively with confidence in our ability to deliver by... • •

Celebrating our success and fostering a sense of pride Positioning the sector as a catalyst for change and innovation by developing new and existing partnerships

•

Promoting the sector as the first choice for education and training

Inclusiveness •

Consistently use language and visuals that are fully inclusive both on and offline

•

Promoting College for all

College graduates made up 46% of the 5,600 first degree entrants to Scottish universities in 2021/22 by individuals living in the 20% most deprived areas of Scotland

Choose College

Key Dates & External Influences for 23/24

Graduation Ceremonies FT Courses Go Live Evening Recruitment Campaigns

OCT

Graduation Ceremonies

January Start

SDS FA Campaign

CDN Awards

National College Week

FT Courses Go Live

NOV

DEC

JAN

Skills Scotland Event

Scottish Apprenticeship Awards

UCAS Application Deadline

SG Programme for Government Announcement

SFC Positive Destinations Data

Evening Recruitment Campaigns

World Skills UK Event

SDS MA Contract Award

TES Awards Scottish Apprenticeship Week

FEB

#Lovescotlands colleges Campaign

MAR

Big College Open Week SDS FA Contract Award

95%

of qualifiers moved into positive destinations College Activities External Activities Choose College Activities

SQA Results Day Event

SQA Exams College Sector Open Day

APR

SQA Exams

MAY

SFC grant-inaid funding / Credits Announcement Outcome Agreement to SFC

SQA Exams

New Student FT Intake

SQA Star Awards

Clearing Campaigns

JUN

Evening Recruitment Campaigns

JUL

AUG

Graduation Ceremonies UCAS Events

SEP

Results & Clearing

Evening Recruitment Campaigns

Evening Recruitment Campaigns Parliamentary Reception

Please note that this information was correct at time of publishing but may be subject to change.

Timeline, Implementation & Milestones for 23/24 A core group will lead the delivery of the strategy – supported by a number of sub-groups and tactical plans. Each sub-group will be made up of representatives from colleges across the sector. This approach is to ensure that we share workload and also reflect regional differences into our ongoing tactical campaign. This also allows us to maximise the use of skills, expertise and time available.

Delivery Core Group

Plan, Create and Approve

Sub Group One

Sub Group Two

Sub Group Three

Love Scotland's Colleges Campaign

Big College Open Week

Results & Clearing

Core Group Membership

Sub Group Membership

National Awareness - Driving Initiatives

Tactical Campaign Delivery

Core Group Remit

Sub Group Remit

• Creation of the overarching Marketing and Communications • Budget Generation and Monitoring • Development of Toolkit for Strategic Messaging • Media Policy • Monitor Progress of KPIs • Gather baseline figures for monitoring purposes • Sign off activities in line with the campaign plan on behalf of the steering group

• • • • •

Planning and delivery of the tactical campaigns Reporting Development of toolkits Media buying Sourcing testimonials and case studies

Evaluation & Measurement

Monitored The plan will be monitored through the CDN Marketing and Communications Network Group and against key performance indicators.

Updates Status and progress updates will be provided at the CDN Marketing and Communications Network Group by each sub group.

Scotland’s Colleges

DELIVER…

t n e m y o l p m e o t s route

Scotland’s College Sector Communications and Marketing Strategic Plan

The Scottish Government invested £740 million into colleges (21-22), which is projected to lead to a

£8 billion boost to the Scottish economy.

Prepared by: CDN Marketing & Communications Network Group Date: November 2023