UHI North, West and Hebrides and Horshader Community Development unite study and employment to drive community impact
Combining academic study with community-based employment
UHI North, West and Hebrides is working in collaboration with Horshader Community Development on the Isle of Lewis to demonstrate the value of combining academic study with community-based employment.
Horshader Community Development has created a Development Officer post that includes protected study time and funded fees for UHI North, West and Hebrides’ MSc in Sustainability and Rural Regeneration. The approach reflects the commitment to flexible, place-based education that enables students to study while remaining rooted in their communities.
By aligning academic learning with real-world employment, UHI North, West and Hebrides and Horshader Community Development are demonstrating a model that delivers community benefit while supporting long-term sustainable regeneration.
Kate MacDonald took up the post of Development Officer in September last year when she also began her studies.
Explaining more about combining work and study, Kate said:
“Studying with UHI North, West and Hebrides, alongside my role, has been incredibly valuable.“The academic learning feeds directly into my day-to-day work, and my experience working on community projects gives real context to my studies. The two work hand-in-hand.”
Kate works four days a week with one protected study day, supporting community projects, developing funding bids and contributing to long-term planning for the Trust in the Horshader area. The MSc, delivered online, is designed for people working in rural and island settings, allowing learning to be applied immediately in practice.
She continued:
“The flexibility of the course has allowed me to continue living and working in the islands. It has strengthened my interest in community wealth building and given me the confidence to take on greater responsibility in strategic development.”
Gordon Matheson, Business Manager at Horshader Community Development Trust in Shawbost, said:
“We’re pleased to be working with UHI on this Development Officer Graduate Trainee post. The role links academic learning with community-based practice, offering a supported pathway for a graduate while contributing to local projects and capacity-building within the Horshader area and other rural communities.
Kate has settled into the role very well and is making a valuable contribution to our work. The day-release arrangement has proven to be a flexible and effective way of supporting her studies while allowing her to gain meaningful, practical experience within a community development setting.”
Dr Michael Smith, Curriculum Manager for Sustainability Sciences, Renewables & Gaelic at UHI North, West and Hebrides said:
“This is a fantastic example of workplace supported learning by Horshader Community Development in unison with UHI North, West & Hebrides. The upskilling of rural and community development leaders and practitioners is what we envisaged when developing our flexible online courses in sustainability and rural regeneration. It is always inspiring to see our students and graduates using and applying the knowledge they gain in their studies to help progress rural community regeneration initiatives.”
He added: “Our degree and masters courses in sustainability and rural development have a track record of over 25 years in successfully producing workplace focused graduates across the Highlands and Islands and beyond. Kate, I am sure, will be our latest export and become an invaluable asset to Horshader Community Development in the years to come, due to their impressive investment in their staff.”