Scots reap £33m from training

More than 6,000 companies bought £33 million of training from Scottish higher education institutions last year, says Universities Scotland in a brochure showcasing the sector's contribution to lifelong learning.

Higher education principals want to counter perceptions of elitism in institutions and to promote accessibility, writes Olga Wojtas

David Caldwell, Universities Scotland's director, said: "From training the senior managers of Scotland's nuclear power stations, to running discussion groups on global politics in a town hall in Alloa, Scotland's universities provide all kinds of learning."

More than 150,000 people took non-credit bearing courses in Scottish institutions last year, a fifth of all such provision in the United Kingdom. The sector underpins the updating of skills for professions. Nearly 25,000 teachers took courses last year.