Dumfries and Galloway College is celebrating 30 years of further education in Stranraer.
This week marks three decades since the establishment of The John Niven Further Education Centre which went onto become an integral part of Dumfries and Galloway College.
The site was originally home to Stranraer Academy and then Dalrymple Primary School before it later became The John Niven Centre.
Further education was pioneered in Stranraer by Vice Principal, Vicky Quinn, assisted by Robbie Armour and Margarete Smith, whose work was key to bringing a college presence to the town.
The college’s population in Stranraer originally consisted of 60 students and has since grown to 223 full time students.
Over the last ten years, 4,500 students have gained qualifications from classes taught at the Stranraer campus.
The modern and state-of-the-art campus currently offers classes in construction, motor vehicle, beauty, business, hairdressing, care, childcare, hospitality, and Skillstart courses.
Her Majesty The Queen visited the campus in August 1996 during which she had lunch prepared by the college’s student chefs in the Training Restaurant.
The Stranraer campus continues to provide first-rate learning and teaching and also represents Dumfries and Galloway College’s commitment, spearheaded by Principal Joanna Campbell, to playing a leading role in growing the skills, resources, and opportunities available in the South of Scotland.
Principal Joanna Campbell said:
“I am delighted to celebrate 30 years of further education in Stranraer and I’m personally incredibly proud of everything our presence in the town has achieved.
“Dumfries and Galloway College students continue to enjoy a rich, rewarding, and productive education at our campus in Stranraer, thanks to the skilled and dedicated staff that go above and beyond each and every day.
“This anniversary is an opportunity to look back and reflect on the progress that our Stranraer campus has made and also to look forward to the bright future that it undoubtably has.”
