North East Scotland College is set to make another significant investment in facilities at its Fraserburgh Campus and the Scottish Maritime Academy in Peterhead after the latest in a series of generous donations.
Over the course of five years a local company, which has requested not to be named, has provided major funding support to enable a range of projects to be delivered.
The benefactor this month made its latest award to the College – with £200,000 earmarked for initiatives scheduled to be completed during the 2025/26 session. It takes the total amount gifted by the company since 2020 to £900,000.
NESCol principal and chief executive Neil Cowie said: “The community spirit of our benefactor is hugely appreciated. Without this support, we simply would not be able to provide the same level of service to our students and the wider community.
“This level of generosity over a sustained period of time is commendable and it is our responsibility to ensure the impact of the funding is maximised and we deliver on the aims of this partnership by expanding and enhancing opportunities in the Fraserburgh area.”
Previous donations have financed a range of transformational developments at the Fraserburgh Campus, including the introduction of the Future Skills Zone and Future Skills Workshop as well as the launch of the first NESCol Esports Hub.
NESCol Principal Neil Cowie (left) and Duncan Abernethy, Assistant Principal Curriculum and Commercial Development, in the Future Skills Workshop at Fraserburgh Campus.
The 2025 contribution will fund five new initiatives:
- The transformation of two learning spaces to create model classrooms, including bespoke provision for the delivery of supported learning programmes;
- Enhancements to photography facilities;
- The purchase of staging for the atrium area, to support college and community events;
- The remodelling of the on-campus training kitchen to reflect the latest professional cookery developments;
- Enhancements to the Scottish Maritime Academy at Peterhead.
A spokesperson for the benefactor said: “Our company remains fully committed to expanding educational and vocational provision for young people and the wider community served by the Fraserburgh Campus as well as to the specialist delivery at the Scottish Maritime Academy.
"The donations to date have had a very positive impact and we look forward to seeing the next wave of projects being completed.”
Duncan Abernethy, NESCol’s assistant principal curriculum and commercial development, said: “We take great pride in our relationships with businesses throughout the region and this particular partnership is one that demonstrates the power of collaboration.
“The funding landscape in the college sector is particularly challenging at present and this type of generosity enables us to be innovative and creative outside of our traditional budget envelope. We’re enthusiastic about the latest selection of projects and about continuing to work closely with our benefactor to make a real difference to the lives of those served by the Fraserburgh Campus and Scottish Maritime Academy.”
NESCol is one of the largest providers of vocational education and training in Scotland, delivering to more than 20,000 full-time, part-time and distance learning students each year. The College operates from its main Aberdeen Altens, Aberdeen City and Fraserburgh campuses as well as the Scottish Maritime Academy in Peterhead.