Positive results from DEBI Annual Vocational Survey

DEBI staff jumping in celebration

Borders College Department of Enterprise and Business Innovation (DEBI) is celebrating this month following some really positive results from their Annual Vocational Survey.

The DEBI Vocational Student Survey is sent out to all students completing a Scottish Vocational Qualification that Academic Year. The survey was sent to 277 students in 2021-2022 and there were 159 responses (57%).

Students gave a really positive response to all questions with 99.3% saying that they would recommend the Borders College SVQ Programme to others.

97.5% felt the application process was clear and easy to follow and 98.7% of students felt their assessor was knowledgeable about the SVQ.

The students reported they felt well supported throughout their award by both their assessor and their employer.

Many students provided positive feedback about their assessors and noted that they felt supported throughout, their assessors were helpful and they felt they had received a very personalised experience.

Comments from students included:

“The course made a strange year of working from home much more enjoyable.  It was relevant to my current role and I'd especially like to thank my assessor for her excellent help and support for the duration of the course.”

“I had fantastic tutorials and very understanding to my needs with dyslexia helped me pass without any problems and feel more confident.”

“My assessor was amazing.”

“My assessor was fantastic. Explained everything well, set out good planning sessions and was always quick at responding if there was anything I didn't understand; very supportive and she was also quick at getting everything marked once my work was on Smart Assessor.”

Students also highlighted positively the use of their e-portfolio and noted that being able to study while working was a real benefit. They also noted that being able to reflect on their practice has improved the way they perform at work, giving them confidence and developing new skills.

Katharine Mathison, Director of Enterprise and Business Innovation at Borders College, commented:

“Survey results like this are always a huge boost to the team. While we are confident that we do a good job, having this validated by our students in this manner highlights the importance of vocational qualifications and how valuable our work is in supporting students to achieve their goals. I am really proud of the whole team and the efforts they make to ensure our continued success.”

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