The new principal of Glasgow Kelvin college has pledged to align its education programme with the economic and environmental needs of the city.
Joanna Campbell, feted for her strong environmental leadership in her previous role at Dumfries and Galloway College, will seek to bring those credentials to developing a net zero-focused curriculum in her new post.
She also pledged to ensure college students have the skills in emerging sectors including health and care, sustainable construction, data and digital, or the green economy.
Campbell, who stepped into the post this month following the retirement of Derek Smeall, said she was drawn to the college because of its clear sense of mission and values, describing it as an institution rooted in its communities and committed to transforming lives through education.
She said: “This college has a clear mission – to serve some of the most deprived communities in Scotland, and to do so in a way that is bold, inclusive and future-facing. It’s a purpose I feel deeply connected to. I can see clear alignment between that mission and the transformational work already being done.”
In her first weeks in post, she has focused on listening to students, staff, employers and community partners to understand their needs, and to identify where the college can do more. That includes reaching parts of Glasgow that could benefit from stronger educational pathways, and strengthening strategic partnerships across sectors like construction, engineering, digital technologies, and health and social care.
“We want to ensure our curriculum is fully aligned with the skills Glasgow needs for the future,” she said.
Campbell led Dumfries and Galloway College to three UK Green Gown Awards – the sustainability awards for further and higher education – during her six-year tenure, and also has previous experience as vice principal at City of Glasgow College.
Glasgow Kelvin College was itself named winner of a prestigious International Green Gown Award last year for a ‘pioneering sustainable fashion initiative’. It is also home to a Green Academy – a dedicated training facility focused on low-carbon heating systems such as air-source heat pumps – positioning the college at the forefront of Scotland’s green skills revolution.
Alongside Net Zero, tackling child poverty will also be a core priority. With campuses serving some of the most economically challenged communities in Scotland – in areas such as Springburn and Easterhouse – Campbell sees the college as having a central role in improving life chances.
She said: “Colleges like Kelvin have a huge role to play in social mobility. We provide skills and qualifications, but also opportunity and hope. From ESOL and access courses right through to university access programmes, we create pathways for people who are often furthest from the labour market.”
The college works closely with a range of universities to support progression into higher education. Demand for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programmes remains high, reflecting the city’s changing population and the need to provide tailored learning routes for new Scots.
Campbell sees college education as key to meeting Scotland’s workforce needs – particularly in fast-evolving sectors. “There’s a huge opportunity to support people into roles in health and social care, or to help them take the first steps towards studying medicine or science. For many, those journeys start here,” she said.
The former Education Scotland associate assessor also acknowledges that the college sector is under pressure. Describing it as a ‘perfect storm’ of funding challenges, shifting learner expectations and rapid skills evolution, she believes institutions like Kelvin are well placed to adapt – but must be better recognised for their role.
She said: “Thanks to the leadership of my predecessor Derek Smeall during some of the most challenging times the sector has ever seen, we’ve been prudent, we’ve delivered against our targets, and now we have an opportunity to build on that work and grow further. But we need the system to recognise the scale of impact colleges make – particularly when we have seen a 17% drop in funding since 2021/22.”
