As part of Borders College’s 40th Birthday celebrations, the Department of Enterprise and Innovation (DEBI) hosted an employer engagement event at the Hawick Campus to acknowledge and celebrate the partnerships formed with employers over the past 40 years.
Katharine Mathison, Director of Enterprise and Business Innovation, commented:
“I was delighted to host the 40th Birthday event at the Hawick Campus, where we celebrated some employers with whom we have worked over the last 4 decades.
“It was lovely to see so many people come together; there was a lot of chat, laughter, and networking across different sectors and types of organisations.
“We can’t thank these organisations enough for their continued support of the college and hope that we will be able to continue working with them for many years to come.”
Attending the event was Douglas Pringle from the Department for Work and Pensions, who said:
“On a personal note, I would like to thank you and your colleagues for the lovely gift I received during my retirement. It was very much appreciated.
“On a work basis I would like to say how much I have enjoyed working with the college staff over the years as we endeavoured to move our customers forward to a positive destination either in to work or improve their life in general. It was always great to see the difference in our customers from day one of a course to the celebration of success at the end.
“I am so pleased and happy that we have assisted many customers in moving forward to a better place than they were when we started working with them. I have enjoyed working with all your staff to achieve this.”
South of Scotland Enterprise representative Cheryl Elliot said:
“Thank you for inviting us. It was great to catch up with former colleagues and pick up where we left off. It was also great to make new contacts, chat about current challenges, and discuss how we can continue working together.
Victoria Cutler-Burton from Eildon Housing commented:
“It was a pleasure celebrating Borders College's 40th Birthday; what a milestone to mark their contribution to the Scottish Borders community and invaluable collaboration with organisations over the years. A fantastic opportunity to catch up with colleagues and form new connections with professionals from across the Borders.
“We look forward to many more years of partnership, providing upskilling and training opportunities for our people at Eildon. Happy Birthday!"
Scottish Borders Housing Association’s Rachel Dickson commented:
“SBHA was delighted to take part in the Borders College 40th Birthday celebrations this week.
“It was great to see so many local businesses coming together to value the partnership with the College – long may it continue.”