City Attributes Reaches Key Milestone

Alison Bell, Dean of Creative Industries, led a project to create a framework and curriculum to support students in developing key skills valued by employers.  Based on the SDS meta-skills framework, Curriculum for Excellence, and the UN Sustainability Goals, this work resulted in City Attributes — a structured, student-led programme delivered across all College faculties and the student experience directorate.

The City Attributes course focuses on 4 key meta-skills:

1. Curiosity.
2. Optimism & Openness.
3. Global Readiness.
4. Contribution.

Students are asked to self-evaluate for each of the four main City Attributes, set goals and re-evaluate as they progress through their educational journey. Participation in the course helps students learn more about themselves and soft skills while also giving them hands-on experience in reflection, planning and self-understanding – useful skills for future employment. 

Early demonstrations of our approach received positive feedback from industry representatives, particularly around our focus on employability, demonstrating the need in industry for future employees with both qualifications and meta-skills.  

Launching in August, City Attributes was rolled out as a course on Canvas for lecturers and students.

  Workshops were held to explain the purpose and design of City Attributes, and since August, Guidance lecturers have been delivering the student-led course across all college faculties.

To measure success, the City Attributes project team completed a survey of teaching staff and students to identify areas for improvement in the course content and delivery. 

The survey provided the team with plenty of feedback, which will be used to improve the City Attributes programme as it’s developed further with many positive comments around employability and communication skills and pathways to personal growth.

Dean of Creative Industries, Alison Bell said

"City Attributes has been a key priority for the college, ensuring our students are recognised not only for their formal qualifications but also for the broader skills they develop. These attributes go beyond technical knowledge, reflecting our commitment to nurturing well-rounded individuals. Through SCQF credit-rated digital badges, we provide our students with meaningful recognition that supports their future aspirations and highlights the value of their personal and professional growth." 

With employers across Scotland and beyond increasingly prioritising personal attributes alongside qualifications, initiatives like City Attributes place our students a step ahead in a competitive and changing job market.

The City Attributes project team has been working on refining course content delivery and has adapted the course for different academic levels, from SCQF Level 3 through to SCQF Level 8. 

Next year, students can progress onto the relevant City Attributes level for their individual courses. For example, 2nd year HND students will be using the City Attributes SQCF Level 8 course.