Dr Ken Thomson OBE

That the Parliament congratulates Dr Ken Thomson, who is the Principal of Forth Valley College (FVC), on being appointed an OBE in recognition of his  services to education, economic development and the communities of central Scotland; notes that, since taking on the role at FVC in 2013, Ken has delivered an ethos to "make learning work" across each campus, bringing  a whole-campus approach to education and training; believes that this has resulted in positive outcomes for students, staff and partners and helped to build a skilled workforce; recognises that FVC has an ambitious estate plan; notes that new campuses have opened in Stirling and Alloa in recent years and that, under Ken’s leadership, a £78 million new Falkirk Campus will open early in 2020; considers that FVC has a significant positive impact on the lives of students from across the Falkirk and Forth Valley areas and beyond; notes that, in 2014, it was presented with the Association of Colleges Beacon Award for Innovation in Further Education and has won several other best practice awards from institutions such as Tes, the College Development Network, the Scottish Training Federation and the SQA; applauds Ken on his work, and wishes him, his staff and all involved with FVC the very best.