Work starts on £2.3m project to transform education in the Outer Hebrides

A £2.3 million project to transform UHI North, West and Hebrides’ Stornoway Campus will get underway this week.  

The Outer Hebrides Campus Redevelopment project, supported with funding from the Islands Growth Deal, aims to enhance the facilities and resources available to students and staff at the site. It will also ‘bring the campus to the community’ through the development of mobile facilities and equipment which can be transported to venues across the Outer Hebrides.

The initiative has been designed to provide more opportunities to local learners, meet the needs of businesses and industries and attract greater numbers of students to the Outer Hebrides. Plans include:

• Transforming the Technology and Innovation Centre
• Creating a hub where students can socialise and collaborate
• Establishing a Newton Room to provide learning experiences for school pupils in science, technology, engineering and maths subjects
• Developing mobile facilities and equipment to enhance UHI North, West and Hebrides’ outreach offering in the Outer Hebrides.

The new campus facilities have been designed by Fraser Architecture LLP and will be brought to life by team lead by O’Mac Construction. It is hoped that the work will be completed in 2024.

UHI Outer Hebrides, UHI North Highland and UHI West Highland merged on 1 August to form UHI North, West and Hebrides, which will celebrate its launch in September.

UHI North, West and Hebrides Principal Lydia Rohmer said: “We are all very excited to see work get underway on this vital project. This initiative will help to realise the full potential of the Outer Hebrides as a prosperous and well-educated community which provides equitable opportunities for our young people seeking a future-facing career in STEM industries, delivering educational pathways leading to high value jobs, and supporting island-based employers with work-ready graduates.”

Scottish Government Wellbeing Economy Secretary Neil Gray said: “I welcome the beginning of work to improve facilities for students and staff in the Outer Hebrides.

This project will attract more learners, support good, fair jobs and help meet demand for workers from island businesses as we build a wellbeing economy for all. That is why the Scottish Government has supported this project through the Islands Growth Deal and Islands Programme funding.”

Cllr Paul Steele, Leader of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, said: “I am delighted to see this project moving ahead as one of the first to get underway as part of the Islands Growth Deal. This exciting project will bring real benefits to students and business in the islands. Congratulations to all those who have worked to get us to this stage.” 

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has awarded £250,000 for the project.

Kathleen Stewart, Head of Enterprise Support at HIE’s Outer Hebrides team, said: “This project will transform the further and higher education curriculum and training offering for people in the islands. It will increase the attractiveness of the campus for traditional, on-campus students and through the integration and development of new technologies, which will enable a greater degree of outreach to remote learners. Improvement to existing facilities and the creation of new ones including those that support the STEM sector are important for retaining a young population on the islands and attracting more students to live and study in the Outer Hebrides.”

The redevelopment will be one of the first projects to get underway as part of the Islands Growth Deal, a ten-year package of investment which aims to drive economic growth and create sustainable jobs across Shetland, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides. The project is being by the Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).

UHI is leading and supporting a number of Islands Deal projects which will help to deliver high-quality education and research, attract inward investment and support employment. 

Obair a’ tòiseachadh air pròiseact £2.3m gus foghlam a chruth-atharrachadh ann an Innse Gall

Bidh pròiseact luach £2.3m a’ tòiseachadh an t-seachdain seo gus Campas Steòrnabhaigh de UHI a Tuath, an Iar agus Innse Gall a chruth-atharrachadh.

Tha pròiseact Ath-leasachaidh Campas Innse Gall, le taic maoineachaidh bho Mhaoin Fàs nan Eilean, ag amas air a bhith ag àrdachadh nan goireasan agus nan stòrasan a tha ann airson oileanaich agus luchd-obrach aig an làrach.  Bheir e cuideachd ‘an campas chun na coimhearsnachd’ tro bhith a’ leasachadh goireasan gluasadach agus uidheam a dh’fhaodas a bhith air an toirt gu làraich air feadh Innse Gall.

Tha an iomairt air a bhith air a dhealbh gus barrachd chothroman a thoirt do luchd-ionnsachaidh ionadail, coinneachadh ri feumalachdan ghnothachasan agus ghnìomhachasan agus àireamh nas àirde de dh’oileanaich a tharraing gu Innse Gall.  Tha na planaichean a’ gabhail a-steach:

• A’ cruth-atharrachadh an Ionad Teicneòlais agus Ùr-ghnàthachas
• A’ stèidheachadh hub far an urrainn do na h-oileanaich a bhith a’ sòisealachadh agus a’ co-obrachadh
• A’ suidheachadh Seòmar Newton gus fèin-fhiosrachaidhean ionnsachaidh a thabhann do sgoilearan ann an cuspairean saidheans, teicneòlas, einnseanaireachd agus matamataig
• A’ leasachadh goireasan gluasadach agus uidheam a dh’àrdaicheas tabhartas UHI a Tuath, an Iar agus Innse Gall sna h-Eileanan an Iar.

Chaidh na goireasan campais ùra a dheilbh le Fraser Architecture LLP agus thig iad gu bith le sgioba air an stiùireadh le O’Mac Construction.  Thathar an dòchas gun tèid an obair a chrìochnachadh ann an 2024.

Cho-aon UHI Innse Gall, UHI Gàidhealtachd a Tuath agus UHI Gàidhealtachd an Iar air 1 Lùnastal gus UHI a Tuath, an Iar agus Innse Gall a stèidheachadh, agus thèid a chur air bhog san t-Sultain.

Thuirt Prionnsapal UHI a Tuath, an Iar agus Innse Gall Lydia Rohmer: “Tha sinn uile air bhog a bhith a’ faicinn obair a’ dol air adhart air a’ phròiseact riatanach seo.  Cuidichidh an iomairt seo ann a bhith a’ toirt làn chomais do na h-Eileanan an Iar a bhith mar choimhearsnachd shoirbheasach agus air a deagh fhoghlamachadh agus a tha a’ tabhann chothroman cothromach do ar daoine òga a tha a’ sireadh dhreuchdan san àm ri teachd ann an ghnìomhachasan STEM, a’ lìbhrigeadh slighean foghlaim a tha a’ treòrachadh gu obraichean de dh’àrd luach, agus a’ toirt taic do luchd-fastaidh stèidhichte sna h-eileanan le luchd-ceumnachaidh a tha deiseil airson obair.”

Thuirt Niall Gray, Rùnaire Eaconamaidh Sunnd Riaghaltas na h-Alba: “Tha mi a’ cur fàilte gu bheil obair a’ tòiseachadh ann a bhith a’ leasachadh ghoireasan airson oileanaich agus luchd-obrach ann an Innse Gall.”

Tàlaidhidh am pròiseact seo barrachd luchd-ionnsachaidh, bheir e taic do dh’obraichean matha agus cothromach agus cuidichidh e ann a bhith a’ coinneachadh ris an iarrtas a tha ann airson luchd-obrach bho ghnothachasan sna h-eileanan agus sinn a’ togail suas eaconamaidh de dheagh shunnd do na h-uile.  Is e sin as coireach gu bheil Riaghaltas na h-Alba air taic a thoirt don phròiseact seo tro mhaoin Cùmhnant Fàs nan Eilean agus Prògram nan Eilean”.

Thuirt an Cll Pòl Steele, Ceannard Chomhairle nan Eilean Siar: “Tha mi air leth toilichte a bhith a’ faicinn a’ phròiseict seo a’ gluasad air adhart mar aon de na chiad fheadhainn a tha mar phàirt de Chùmhnant Fàs nan Eilean.  Bheir am pròiseact air leth inntinneach seo fìor bhuannachdan do dh’oileanaich agus gnothachas sna h-eileanan.  Meal an naidheachd dhan h-uile neach a bha ag obair gus ar toirt chun na h-ìre seo.”

Chuir Iomairt na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean (HIE) £250,000 ris a’ phròiseact seo.

Thuirt Kathleen Stiùbhart, Ceannard Taic Iomairt aig sgioba HIE Innse Gall: “Atharraichidh am pròiseact seo curraicealam foghlam adhartach agus àrd ìre agus an tabhartas trèanaidh do dhaoine sna h-eileanan.  Meudaichidh e tarraingeachd a’ champais airson oileanaich traidiseanta, air-campas agus tro chleachdadh agus leasachadh theicneòlasan ùra, a bheir barrachd for-ruigheachd do luchd-ionnsachaidh nas fhaide air falbh.  Tha leasachadh air na goireasan a tha ann a-cheana agus a bhith a’ cruthachadh feadhainn ùra a’ gabhail a-steach feadhainn a tha a’ toirt taic don earrann STEM cudromach airson a bhith a’ cumail dhaoine òga sna h-eileanan agus a bhith a’ tàladh barrachd oileanaich gu bhith a’ fuireach agus ag ionnsachadh ann an Innse Gall.” 

Bidh an t-Ath-leasachadh mar aon de na ciad phròiseactan a thòisicheas mar phàirt de Chùmhnant Fàs nan Eilean, paca deich-bliadhna de sheilbheachd a tha ag amas air a bhith a’ stiùireadh fàs eaconamach agus a’ stèidheachadh obraichean seasmhach air feadh Shealtainn, Arcaibh agus Innse Gall.  Tha am pròiseact a’ faighinn taic bho Riaghaltas na h-Alba, Iomairt na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean, Comhairle nan Eilean agus Oilthigh na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean (UHI).

Tha UHI a’ stiùireadh agus a’ toirt taic do ghrunnan phròiseactan Cùmhnant Fàs nan Eilean a chuidicheas ann a bhith a’ lìbhrigeadh foghlam agus rannsachadh de dh’àrd-chàileachd, a’ tàladh in-sheilbheachd agus taic do fhastachd.