Forward Thinking Levenmouth Praised by Minister

18 November 2009

Alex Neil MSP, Minister for Housing and Communities has congratulated Adam Smith College and the Levenmouth communities on their ‘forward thinking’ approach to opening up opportunity. The Minister made a special visit to the College’s Levenmouth Campus today to officially open ‘Our Space’ – a pioneering new community one-stop-shop designed to provide ‘joined up’ personal advice and guidance on learning and training opportunities.

Alex Neil MSP, Minister for Housing and Communities Joe MacIntyre, Project Director Community Planning, Adam Smith College Dr Craig Thomson, Principal Adam Smith College.

The new centre offers an integrated information and advice service covering education, training and skills development – college staff are on hand along with specialists providing support on legal, financial and personal matters. ‘Our Space’ brings together an impressive list of local agencies including: Job Centre Plus, Skills Development Scotland, Fife Law Centre, Gingerbread, Citizens Advice and Rights Fife.

The Minister was welcomed to ‘Our Space’ by Dr Craig Thomson, Adam Smith College Principal and Joe MacIntyre, Project Director, and taken on a tour of the exciting new resource where he was introduced to staff representing the wide range of agencies involved.

Over 50 guests from local community organisations joined the Minister as he unveiled a plaque to commemorate the opening and to listen to presentations about the project.

Housing and Communities Minister Alex Neil said:

“This new community facility will provide the people of Leven with a one-stop shop offering an advice service covering education, training and skills development opportunities.

“It has all been possible because key agencies worked together to put in place a facility of which the whole of Fife can be proud. They are to be congratulated for their forward-thinking approach.”

Dr Craig Thomson, Principal at Adam Smith College added:

“We are delighted to welcome the Minister to officially open this impressive new resource. Adam Smith College is strongly committed to ensuring that people are able to gain the skills and knowledge and, very importantly, the personal advice they need to take their lives to the next stage. Bringing all of these agencies under one roof makes it more straightforward for local people to get the help they need. I am very pleased to see this development being launched. This service and the newly refurbished area in which Our Space is located integrate well with the rest of the College Campus.”

New facilities at the Centre include office space for the key agencies, meeting rooms, public-use computers and a COSTA Coffee bar and social area which is open to everyone.

Careers Scotland are one of the new agencies to move in to Our Space. Janice Carlyle from Skills Development Scotland said:
“We are very pleased to be working in partnership with the College and the other organisations using Our Space – this will give us the opportunity to provide our services in a more ‘joined-up’ way. Our Advisers in Our Space will be able to offer help and advice on career management and employability to people of all ages in the Levenmouth area.”

Adam Smith College

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