Scotland's Colleges, Universities and Skills After Reform: what is needed next?

Tuesday 29th September 2026

Scotland’s post-school education and skills system is entering a major period of reform. The Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Act 2026 changes how funding is provided, while colleges, universities, training providers and employers face urgent questions about sustainability, workforce supply and economic need.

This conference will examine what reform means in practice for colleges, universities, skills bodies, employers, councils, enterprise agencies, employability providers and learners. It will consider how Scotland can connect funding, governance, apprenticeships, employability, fair access, regional delivery and public-sector workforce planning.

Key questions include how institutions can stabilise their finances, how skills pathways can better reflect employer demand, how apprenticeships can be expanded, how employability support can reduce barriers to work, and how learners from under-represented groups can be better supported to enter and stay in education.

Colleges and universities face serious financial sustainability pressures, while employers continue to raise concerns about skills gaps, workforce pipelines and productivity. The University of Edinburgh warned in 2025 of a £140 million financial gap and potential staff cuts, while the University of Dundee received a £22 million rescue package after warning of insolvency risk. The SNP’s 2026 manifesto also committed to 150,000 apprenticeships over the period of the new Parliament, an Apprenticeship Accelerator Grant, a bespoke scheme for disabled young people and a comprehensive review of employability support.

Bringing together education leaders, funders, employers, skills bodies, unions, student voices, economists and policy specialists, this conference will help delegates understand what Scotland’s tertiary education and skills system needs next - and how reform can support learners, institutions, employers and the wider economy.

This online conference will focus on three themes:

• Reform, funding and institutional sustainability
• Skills, apprenticeships and employers
• Access, inclusion and accountability

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Key topics for discussion

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• Understanding tertiary education reform - what the 2026 Act means for Scotland
• Focussing on college finances, estates and regional delivery
• Supporting university sustainability, research and Scotland’s economic future
• Hearing about apprenticeships and the 150,000 commitment
• Taking action on access, inclusion and accountability
• Addressing employability support - what should the promised review change?
• Discussing fair access, learners and the cost of participation
• Considering governance, outcomes and accountability in the tertiary system
• Planning for reform, funding and institutional sustainability
• Meeting the challenges for skills, apprenticeships and employers

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Who should attend?

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This conference is relevant to:

• college principals, senior managers and board members
• university leaders, planners and policy teams
• skills, apprenticeships and training providers
• employability and workforce development professionals
• councils and regional economic development teams
• enterprise agencies and business support organisations
• employers with skills, recruitment or apprenticeship needs
• student bodies and learner support teams
• trade unions and workforce representatives
• fair access, widening participation and inclusion leads
• finance, governance and estates professionals in tertiary education
• public bodies involved in education, skills and labour-market policy
• third sector organisations supporting learners, parents, disabled people or people facing barriers to work
• researchers, economists and policy professionals working on education, productivity, skills and regional growth

Speakers