8th December 2022
A NEW college for the North and West Highlands and Outer Hebrides will be known as UHI North, West and Hebrides when three UHI colleges merge.
Last month the boards of management at UHI North Highland, UHI Outer Hebrides and UHI West Highland formally approved the merger proposal and business case, which will see them come together as a single UHI college from August 2023, pending Scottish Government approval.
More than 200 people took part in the consultation on name, including staff, students, prospective students, external partners, employers, and influencers.
The consultation found overwhelming support for a name that celebrates local identities while aligning with the existing UHI place-based brand.
Several options were considered by the Partnership Board, which was set up to lead the case for merger, but UHI North, West and Hebrides was considered the most inclusive. It was also backed by the Highlands and Islands Students' Association (HISA).
Dr Michael Foxley, Chair of the Partnership Board, said: "We are grateful to everyone who took part in this consultation as the feedback we received was critical to our decision making. Our staff, students and stakeholders are rightly proud of their local communities, so we needed to find a solution that was inclusive, while celebrating our unique local identities across a geographic area the size of Wales. This is an important milestone, which signals
the start of our next chapter and creates a solid foundation to move forward positively with all our stakeholders towards a merger date next year."
The college name will be bilingual to celebrate our Gaelic heritage.
By coming together, UHI North Highland, UHI Outer Hebrides and UHI West Highland will create a more sustainable organisation with combined capacity and resource to grow curriculum, research, and innovation; develop our partnerships to support employers address the skills shortages in our area; and become more responsive to the social, cultural, and economic opportunities in our regions.
With 9000 students, 600 staff and 19 learning centres and campuses stretching from Caithness and Sutherland, Ross and Cromarty to Lochaber, Wester Ross, Skye, and the Outer Hebrides, the new college is ideally placed to develop Gaelic language provision and respond to the region's key growth sectors including the economic opportunities around net zero decarbonisation, renewable energy, engineering, advanced manufacturing, and
aquaculture.
Bidh colaiste ÙR airson Taobh Tuath agus Siar na Gàidhealtachd agus Innse Gall air a h-aithneachadh mar UHI a Tuath, an Iar is Innse Gall an uair a thig na trì colaistean còmhla. Air a' mhìos a chaidh seachad dh'aontaich bùird stiùiridh UHI Gàidhealtachd a Tuath, UHI Innse Gall agus UHI Gàidhealtachd an Iar gu foirmeil ris a’ mholadh co-aonaidh agus a’ chùis gnothachais, a chì iad a’ tighinn còmhla mar aon cholaiste UHI bhon Lùnastal 2023,
ma gheibhear aonta bho Riaghaltas na h-Alba.
Ghabh còrr air 200 neach com-pàirt sa cho-chomhairleachadh mu ainm, a’ gabhail a-steach luchd-obrach, oileanaich, feadhainn a dh’fhaodas a bhith nan oileanaich san àm ri teachd, com-pàirtichean on taobh a-muigh, luchd-fastaidh agus feadhainn aig a bheil buaidh.
Chaidh taic air leth a thoirt don bhòrd co-chomhairleachaidh airson ainm a tha a’ comharrachadh fèin-aithne ionadail agus a tha a’ dol leis a’ bhrannd UHI a tha ann cheana stèidhichte air àite.
Bheachdaich am Bòrd Com-pàirteachais, a chaidh a stèidheachadh airson cùis a’ cho-aonaidh a stiùireadh, air grunnan roghainnean, ach bhathar a’ meas gur e UHI a Tuath, an Iar is Innse Gall a b’ in-ghabhalaich. Thug Comann Oileanach na Gàidhealtachd ’s nan
Eilean (HISA) taic dha cuideachd.
Thuirt an Dr Michael Foxley, Cathraiche a’ Bhùird Com-pàirteachais, "Tha sinn taingeil dhan h-uile neach a ghabh pàirt sa cho-chomhairleachadh seo oir bha am fios air ais deatamach don obair co-dhùnaidh againn. Tha ar luchd-obrach, oileanaich agus luchd-ùidh ceart a bhith pròiseil mu na coimhearsnachdan ionadail aca, agus mar sin dh’fheumadh sinn co-dhùnadh a bha in-ghabhalach, ach aig a’ cheart àm a bhith a’ comharrachadh ar dearbh-aithne sònraichte ionadail thar raon cruinn-eòlach a tha mu mheud na Cuimrigh. Is e clach-mhìle chudromach a tha seo, a tha a’ comharrachadh toiseach caibideil ùr agus a’ cruthachadh stèidh dhaingeann gus gluasad air adhart gu deimhinneach le ar luchd-ùidh air fad gu ceann-là co-aonaidh an ath bhliadhna."
Bidh ainm na colaiste dà-chànanach gus ar dualchas Gàidhlig a chomharrachadh. Le bhith a’ tighinn ri chèile, cruthaichidh UHI Gàidhealtachd a Tuath, UHI Innse Gall agus UHI Gàidhealtachd an Iar buidheann nas seasmhaich le comas agus stòras co-aonaichte
gus an curraicealam, rannsachadh agus ùr-ghnàthachas fhàs; ar com-pàirteachasan a leasachadh gus taic a thoirt do luchd-fastaidh a bhith a’ dèiligeadh ris a’ ghainnead sgilean san sgìre againn; agus a bhith a’ fàs nas so-fhreagrach ris na cothroman sòisealta, cultarail
agus eaconamach sna roinnean againn.
Le 9000 oileanach, 600 luchd-obrach agus 19 ionadan-ionnsachaidh bho Gallaibh agus Cataibh, Ros is Crombaidh gu Loch Abar, Ros an Iar, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach agus na h-
Eileanan an Iar, tha a’ cholaiste cho-aonaichte ann an deagh àite gus solair Gàidhlig a leasachadh agus freagairt air prìomh earrannan fàis na roinne a’ gabhail a-steach nan cothroman eaconamach a tha an cois neoni-dì-charbonachadh, lùth ath-nuadhachail, einnseanaireachd, sàr shaorachadh agus tuathanachas uisge.