Fife College: new principal Jim Metcalfe on his dream job and the resilience at heart of Fife College

He stepped into the hot seat last month and now oversees an organisation that cares for 21,000 students and has nearly 1000 staff across five campuses throughout Fife, not to mention prison learning centres across Scotland.

The former chief executive at College Development Network succeeded Dr Hugh Hall who stepped down as Fife College Principal after six years in the job. A turnover of £61million underlines just how significantly the college has grown from its very early roots - but its role at the heart of communities remains more important than ever.

While the new net zero campus under construction on the site of the white elephant that was the unused Hyundai factory in west Fife is set to become its flagship, the new principal is keen to see the spotlight remain on its campuses in Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes, Levenmouth, Dunfermline and Rosyth. His first week was spent visiting each centre, speaking one to one with around 500 students and staff - conversations which will help shape the college as it tackles a tough Scottish Government funding cut and a curriculum review.

“Our campus network allows us to reach an awful lot of people, said Jim. “That comes with pressures but it is our USP - and a huge strength.

“This is the only college I wanted to work in. It is my dream job and one I wanted to for a long time. There is no other challenge like it as this college is rooted in the community - five campuses across the region with a level of community provision that brings challenges but it is also a brilliant opportunity.”

In recent years there has been a sense among some observers in the Lang Toun that the college’s focus had shifted west along the A92, but Jim is committed to that network of campuses - Kirkcaldy is its busiest place, and one of its most established. The old tech building dates back to the 1920s, funded largely by a donation from the local Miners Welfare trustees for the provision of evening classes.

Its first first full-time apprenticeship course in engineering was introduced in 1945, and it has always stood as a place of education within the Kirkcaldy community. It has evolved into a centre of excellence, specifically for hospitality and tourism students, while Glenrothes’ Stenton campus is home to a thriving creative arm, and Rosyth is the base for engineering students.

The way that learning is delivered may have changed, but the commitment remains strong.

Student life changed beyond recognition in lockdown, and the return to campus life has been a gradual affair.

“Many students welcomed the digital content that came out of lockdown, and it will be a huge part of our future of teaching and learning, remotely, but they still want to come back and get that campus experience. That is a really important part of their studies, and while some colleges may have gone for a heavy digitally focussed approach, a huge part of our strength is that we have a network of campuses that are there for the community. We are a community college - we take that very seriously.”

A recent Scottish Government funding cut threw a spanner in the works for colleges and universities, and came at a time Fife was conducting its regular curriculum review which saw counselling students campaign strongly to save their course from any threat.

Said Jim: “We are better placed than a lot of others - the college is resilient. We are facing challenges, but it’s my job to make sure we deal with them over the next one to two years and make sure this business is moving forward.”

“The curriculum we offer every year is different and it is refined in response to the demand of the local economy, but we also listen to students and staff and their passions and reflect that.

It’s a mark of how important people’s courses are to them that they express their views with passion and commitment.

“And we are aware the responsibility of the curriculum is not just one that works at a strategic level but one that works for staff and students.There is a balance.”Ultimately, the aim is to take students through their studies to graduation, and on to either university or into jobs - and here, Fife scores highly. According to latest Scottish Funding Council statistics, it has best ‘positive destination’ figures of any college in Scotland.

In plain language, it measures what student went on to do after graduating - and 90.2% of Fife College students were in work, training and/or further study three to six months after qualifying. Those numbers are key.

“What matters most is the quality of the teaching - that’s important,” said Jim. “If students stick with us and succeed through their studies, they go on to positive destinations. That’s the standard we need to maintain and it is down to the quality of the teaching and the enthusiasm and engagement of the students.Getting people ready to go on to work is key.”

Gaining those qualifications - from HNC upward - also needs a network of support, more so with students facing a costs of living crisis which can impact on their plans to study. From free breakfasts to counsellors on campus to listen and guide, that safety net has never been more important - or needed.

Ultimately, it’s about people - giving them opportunities to study, gain new skills that may lead to them changing their lives.

August will mark the tenth anniversary of the merger of Adam Smith and Carnegie College which created Fife College as it is today, with the new net zero campus due to open in 2025. “Exciting times” said Jim.