Fife College names new principal to succeed Hugh Hall

He will take up his duties in Spring 2023 after Hugh Hall stands down after six years at the helm.

Mr Metcalfe is currently chief executive at College Development Network (CDN). He joins the college as looks ahead to its new major campus in Dunfermline due to open in 2024 - and will be responsible for 17,000 students, a wide range of business clients and ,000 staff. He will also manage a commercial client base of £8million and turnover of £57million.

David C Watt, chair of the Board of Governors, said: “Jim has a strong affinity with Fife. His experience and passion for the college sector, along with his knowledge of the region and the communities we serve, made him the standout candidate.

“The board looks forward to working with him to build on the success of Fife College and lead it ably through the future challenges and opportunities.”

Mr Metcalfe said he was looking forward to joining the college which has a network of five campuses across the region, including Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline, Glenrothes, Leven, and Rosyth.

“I am delighted and feel very privileged to have been appointed principal of Fife College,” he said. “I value the progressive role the college plays within the community and I’m looking forward to meeting our students and staff and working with them into the future.”

Mr Metcalfe has a wealth of experience across the skills and regional economic development landscape.

He is a trustee of the UK Energy Saving Trust (EST) and chair of the EST Foundation, a director of the SCQF Partnership, a member of the ETF Self-Improving System working group, and serves on the Scottish Government’s Curriculum Advisory Board.

Prior to his current role, he was head of development and practice at Carnegie UK based in Fife.

Fife College offers over 400 courses, from essential skills to graduate degree programmes, in more than 40 different subject areas, with 90% of students progressing to either employment or further studies.

Over 17,000 students currently study either full-time or part-time at the college.