Advancing Equality of Opportunity: Eliminating Unlawful Discrimination
VEX Robotics
VEX Robotics is more than just a competition, it’s a chance for students to get hands-on with engineering, coding, and teamwork while having a great time. We’re all about making robotics accessible, inclusive, and fun.
A weekly VEX class is run with Buchanan High School, allowing students to develop their problem-solving and technical skills in a supportive environment. Alongside the weekly session, we also run an evening VEX Robotics Club, bringing together students from 6 schools across North Lanarkshire, with participants ranging from 1st to 6th year. We’re also incredibly proud to have ASN (Additional Support Needs) schools, Buchanan High School and Firpark High School, actively involved, ensuring robotics is an opportunity for everyone.
Sixty percent of our Vex Robotics Club are female, a massive step towards breaking down barriers in STEM. Only 29% of the current workforce are women (gov.uk). Seeing more young women actively engaging in robotics, coding, and engineering is exactly what we want to encourage, and it’s fantastic to watch them grow in confidence and skill.
What makes this even more exciting is that everyone from the evening school club competes in the same competition, giving all students the chance to put their skills to the test in a real-world setting. Competing together strengthens their technical abilities and builds teamwork, resilience, and key skills that will benefit them beyond robotics.
Vex Robotics is about giving every student the chance to be part of something exciting, regardless of their background, experience, or ability. There's a place for everyone, whether it’s building, coding, driving, or just figuring things out together. Looking ahead, we’re excited to keep growing, reach more schools, and give even more students the opportunity to get involved. VEX Robotics isn’t just about building robots, it’s about building confidence, teamwork, and a love for STEM.
CADD lecturer Lisa Nicholson has been recognised for her commitment to broadening access to STEM subjects with three nominations in the prestigious WorldSkills Equality awards - Role Model, Skills Competition Diversity Champion and Inclusive Skills Development categories.
“I always remember being the only woman in my HND class and not thinking I had anything to say. So I always make a point of bringing the female students in my class into the discussion, so they don’t feel shut out.”
Lisa Nicholson , Lecturer, CAD
Project Search
The DFN Project SEARCH is a one-year, full-time course which takes place within Lanarkshire’s University Hospital Wishaw and University Hospital Monklands. DFN Project SEARCH has a very clear goal - to equip young people with additional support needs with the essential skills that will help them progress towards competitive paid employment.
It is a partnership programme between North and South Lanarkshire Councils and offers internships with a local employers, NHS Lanarkshire and ISS.
The Project runs during the college academic year for a duration of 36 weeks. During this period, students have the opportunity to complete three work placements. They experience a mixture of classroom-based education and workplace experience. Students are offered the opportunity in a variety of placements throughout the site and will be supported by job coaches from Lanarkshire Councils. Furthermore, students will have the opportunity to evaluate their day and focus on key employability skills.
Each successful candidate becomes a student at New College Lanarkshire (NCL). The college provides academic structure whilst adhering to Project SEARCH guidelines.
Curriculum areas covered include:
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- Work experience
- Communication
- Employability skills
- Interview skills
- Personal development
- Health and Safety in the workplace
- C.V. development
- Money management