From the chalkface

Published on Tuesday 24 November 2009 21:50

PEOPLE BRIAN Keegan has been unveiled as the new chair of Scotland's Colleges.

Currently chair of Langside College in Glasgow, Mr Keegan has 35 years experience of further education and training in a variety of roles, beginning his career at Motherwell College in the department of social sciences, languages and communication.

NEWS

THE Scottish Qualifications Authority, in partnership with the Piping and Drumming Qualifications Board, has launched new qualifications this week setting, for the first time, national standards for bagpipe playing and pipe band drumming.

The National Progression Awards and Professional Development Awards are the culmination of a major project to achieve national recognition for the qualifications, which are offered jointly by the five principal organisations in the traditional music: the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming, the College of Piping, the National Piping Centre, the Piobaireachd Society and the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association.

AWARDS

NORTH Lanarkshire pupils have won Scotland's top film-making prize for under-18s at Dundee's Discovery Film Festival with a film about a young man whose life is turned upside down when asked to do a favour that puts him on the wrong side of the law. The youngsters from the Lensheads Film School who wrote and directed Backfire included pupils from St Andrew's High, Airdrie Academy, St Ambrose High and St Aidan's High.

STOW College in Glasgow has been nominated for an award for its commitment to supporting and retaining staff affected by disability or ill health.

The college runs regular campaigns and events to highlight the importance of mental health and reduce the stigma surrounding these issues.

The college will find out whether it has won at the finals of the Scottish Business Diversity Awards at the Glasgow Science Centre tomorrow.

EVENTS

GIRLS from across Scotland's Central Belt were encouraged to consider a career in physics or engineering at an event held by George Watson's College in Edinburgh last week.

Seventy-eight girls attended workshops on Friday, including one on ice-cream making, designed to demonstrate scientific principles.

GLASGOW schools will be taking part in the Scottish Gas Mobile Training Unit tour this week to learn about joining the firm's call centre or becoming an engineering apprentice.

St Margaret Mary's Secondary will take part today, Knightswood Secondary tomorrow and Whitehill Secondary on Friday, at a unit based at the Premier Inn South, Ballater Street, Glasgow.

A FREE weight-loss class takes place tonight at Adam Smith College, which has put together the 12-week course in conjunction with NHS Fife.

The course will teach skills for a long-term healthier lifestyle, such as preparing nutritious meals and reading food labels; there is an optional fitness class.

The class takes place at Adam Smith College's St Brycedale campus in Kirkcaldy at 7pm.