NESCol recognised as one of Scotland’s top employers

October 30, 2026

North East Scotland College has been crowned a winner at the The Herald and s1jobs Top Employer Awards.

NESCol was recognised for excellence in the Onboarding and Integration Programme of the Year category at Wednesday’s (28 October) ceremony in Glasgow.

The judging panel were impressed by the College’s innovative and comprehensive approach to ensuring new recruits receive the best start to life at the institution.

The introduction of a redesigned onboarding and induction programme at NESCol has created a more connected, accessible and effective experience for employees – increasing engagement and building knowledge and understanding across teaching and professional services teams.

Kimra Donnelly, Assistant Principal People Services at NESCol, said: “We’re very proud to have won this award and to see our name up in lights on the national stage is a brilliant reward for everyone involved in this project. It really has been a collective effort, driven by our Learning and Development team, and the endorsement of judges in the face of such strong competition is fantastic.

“When we undertook research with staff, including managers and our People Services colleagues, it was evident that existing processes could be fragmented. Engagement with induction materials was another are identified for improvement.

“The response was to go from the ground up and rebuild how we do things. A digital onboarding platform, providing a single source of information from offer acceptance onwards, alongside a redesigned blended-learning induction programme has been created.

“This new approach enables employees to access key resources, complete pre-employment tasks and engage with NESCol’s culture before their first day. Content has also been streamlined, taking the commitment down to around 12 hours of essential learning, and completion rates of 100% have demonstrated how this has been embraced by new colleagues.”

The approach also includes the support of workplace buddies, Employee Connection sessions and visible senior leadership involvement. It has been designed to strengthen belonging, improve employee engagement and ensure new starts are equipped for success from the outset of their NESCol career.

The appearance on the big stage for the People Services team was the first of two finals for NESCol professional services functions in the space of two days.

On Thursday (29 October) it was the turn of the Procurement team to enjoy the limelight, shortlisted at the GO Awards in the Public Public Procurement Project of the year Award. The College’s approach to establishing a new simulated care facility at City Campus, including building a simulated living space and ward with advanced AI-powered training equipment, was selected by the panel as a finalist. The category was won by the Scottish Prison Service.

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 online learning students each year. The College serves an area covering more than 2,500 square miles and operates from its main Aberdeen Altens, Aberdeen City and Fraserburgh campuses as well as the Scottish Maritime Academy in Peterhead. The Altens Campus incorporates the Energy Transition Sills Hub, launched in 2025 to drive the North East’s net zero ambitions.