Exclusive:College English classes 'should be expanded' to help boost the Scottish economy

English language classes for refugees and asylum seekers help boost the Scottish economy, new research has found.

Edinburgh College’s English as a Second Language (ESOL) courses are reversing economic inactivity and supporting students into work.

The college now plans to expand its ESOL provision to provide a skills pipeline to supply the needs of the local labour market.

Its report into the benefits of ESOL classes comes as Scotland has seen protests against English classes and asylum seekers.

READ MORE: Protests held outside primary school offering English classes to mothers

However, new research sets out clear benefits to English lessons for both the students and the wider employment landscape.

Edinburgh College Principal Audrey Cumberford said: “This new report shows the vital importance that our English for Work programmes have in supporting people to enter the workplace.

“Our research demonstrates that these courses tackle economic inactivity, develop highly valued employability skills and are used by employers to create a recruitment pipeline.”

Colleges report soaring demand for ESOL provision with some reporting courses filling up less than 24 hours after they are advertised.

Ms Cumberford said Edinburgh College is no different.

“ESOL is increasingly one of the most over-subscribed curriculum areas of the College, and that’s with us expanding our provision to 1,200 places a year,” she added.

“More needs to be done to recognise the importance of these courses and expedite efforts to meet the huge unmet demand that we’re seeing.”

One college lecturer interviewed for the report said they were seeing an increase in the number of nurses from overseas taking ESOL lessons.

They also reported a significant number of doctors and dentists learning English to enable them to work in the NHS.

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Between 2019/20 and 2024/25, more than 500 students from 52 countries undertook English for Work courses at Edinburgh College.

Additionally, more than 100 additional ESOL students enrolled in 2025/26 compared to the previous year.

Research found women are over-represented on the course with some 83 per cent of students being female in the last five years of the course.

The report found:”The fact that English for Work programmes appear to be viewed by many women, with English as a second language, as a potentially supportive route into employment after a maternity gap or career break, suggests these programmes may play an important part in tackling economic inactivity in the region.

“In working, disproportionately, with this demographic, and by directly tackling a number of the barriers often identified for this group, Edinburgh College’s English for Work programmes could have an important role in tackling this specific economic challenge within the city-region.”

In research carried out by Edinburgh College last year, only 35 per cent of employers said they were confident their organisation would be able to recruit the right people for the vacancies they need to fill in the upcoming year.

Meanwhile, in the most recent skills assessment for the Edinburgh, East and Midlothian region, SDS forecast that the region’s workforce demand will grow by more than 8 per cent over the next decade, requiring 34,600 additional workers to fill new jobs, on top of the 154,900 additional workers required to replace those retiring.

The report, Addressing Language as a Barrier to Work and Progression, follows months of research into the impact that courses designed to improve language skills can have in the areas they are offered.

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Researchers found that English for Work programmes are being increasingly valued by the employers who support them, with the courses being seen as providing a valuable recruitment pipeline.

To accommodate more ESOL students, the fourth floor of the college’s Sighthill Campus has been redeveloped to create dedicated learning and social spaces.

The report also points to the fact that, while ESOL is vital to plug skills gaps and lessen economic inactivity, there is currently no Scottish Government national strategy for ESOL.

Head of ESOL at Edinburgh College, Sarah Donno, said: “It’s clear from our own numbers that there is the potential for huge growth in this area.

“When there are such significant economic and social benefits that can be brought from expanding provision, we need to do all we can to meet the unmet regional demand that we’re seeing.

“Students want it, employers want it, and our economy needs investment in English for Work programmes.”