An innovative partnership between Glasgow’s colleges has been recognised with a prestigious national award, highlighting its impact on businesses and workforce development across the city region.
Glasgow Clyde College accepted the Association of Colleges (AoC) Beacon Award for College Engagement with Employers in London on behalf of the College Local Innovation Centres (CLIC) programme.
CLIC is a collaborative initiative involving six Glasgow colleges, designed to provide tailored innovation support to businesses. Since launching in 2014, the programme has supported more than 390 businesses, delivered over 1,900 hours of support, and helped upskill 800 employees across a wide range of sectors.
John Canning, head of commercial and business services at Glasgow Clyde College, said:
“The CLIC partnership has been a real success. We don’t just give businesses generic training – we ensure they receive personalised innovation support tied directly to their needs. In the first year alone, the programme delivered more than 1900 hours of support, created more than 100 innovation programmes, and upskilled more than 800 employees across sectors as diverse as construction, health, hospitality, manufacturing, and the creative industries. We have seen some incredible results, with businesses now excelling in the digital sector, doing things they never thought possible.”
The programme was recognised for its role in raising productivity and contributing to the regional innovation action plan. CLIC is delivered through six innovation centres, each hosted by one of Glasgow’s colleges and aligned to their specialist strengths:
- Glasgow Kelvin College – digital enablement
- Glasgow Clyde College – digital creativity
- City of Glasgow College – innovation leadership
- West College Scotland – advanced manufacturing
- New College Lanarkshire – digitally enabled health
- South Lanarkshire College – sustainable development
Businesses supported by the programme range from social organisations such as the Talbot Association to creative enterprises like DirectDevitt Comedy & Confidence.
David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said:
“I want to say a huge congratulations to everyone who met the Beacon standard, and of course, to our winners. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to the communities you serve. I hope you enjoy the celebrations. You should be proud of the work you do and the impact you make on people’s lives.”