New postgraduate course to build skills in community development
A new postgraduate course developed by UHI North, West and Hebrides in partnership with Bòrd na Gàidhlig will support Gaelic development officers to build specialist skills in community development, language revitalisation and sustainable regeneration.
The PG Cert Sustainability and Regeneration: Gaelic Communities has been designed to meet the professional development needs of those working to strengthen Gaelic within communities.
The course includes a bespoke module, ‘Revitalising Gaelic: Strategies for Community Empowerment and Language Confidence’, developed specifically for the new programme. Students will learn how languages can be strengthened and brought back into everyday use, how communities can be supported to take the lead and how to deliver sustainable Gaelic initiatives. Alongside the Gaelic-focused module, students will examine community wealth building, best practice in working with communities, and the wider social, cultural and economic factors that influence Gaelic use and development.
The first cohort of six Gaelic development officers will begin their studies in September 2026, with the programme expected to be completed in late 2027. Delivered online, the course is designed to enable participants to undertake postgraduate study alongside their professional roles and provides a potential progression route towards UHI’s MSc Sustainability and Rural Regeneration.
The programme demonstrates Bòrd na Gàidhlig and UHI’s commitment to developing flexible, work-based learning opportunities that respond directly to skills needs within communities and the wider Gaelic sector.
Dr Michael Smith, Curriculum Manager for Sustainability Sciences, Renewables and Gaelic at UHI North, West and Hebrides, said:
“This new postgraduate award is an excellent example of how UHI can work collaboratively with partners to respond directly to identified skills needs. Although designed with Gaelic development officers in mind, the course also has relevance to community development teams working to strengthen culture, identity and sustainable development through language engagement.
“Through flexible online learning and materials tailored to participants in the workplace, UHI is supporting professionals to develop their knowledge and skills while continuing to make a contribution to their communities.”
Iain MacMillan, Director of Development at Bòrd na Gàidhlig, said:
“We’re delighted to be working in partnership with UHI North, West and Hebrides on this course and to strengthen the professional development of Gaelic officers. One of the key aims of our Gaelic Officers Scheme, and the multi-year approach that we’ve set out for it, is to ensure officers have the opportunity to build skills and become better equipped to serve their communities. We hope this course will be a rewarding experience for those enrolling and provide a pathway for future development.”
Alison Campbell Clark, North-West Lewis Gaelic Plan Officer and course student, said:
“I am very grateful to Bòrd na Gàidhlig and UHI for their support and for providing this opportunity to develop our professional skills and knowledge. For those of us working directly with communities at a grassroots level, opportunities like this are hugely important in strengthening the work already happening locally and helping us develop more informed and effective approaches.
“One of the aims of the North-West Lewis Gaelic Plan is to increase opportunities for training and professional development through the medium of Gaelic. We are therefore very grateful to Bòrd na Gàidhlig and UHI for supporting this action and helping to create more opportunities for Gaelic-medium learning and development within our communities.”
The course forms part of Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s wider approach to supporting professional development opportunities for Gaelic officers and complements its Gaelic Officers Scheme. More than £1.6 million has been awarded through the scheme to support Gaelic development officers across Scotland on a multi-year basis between 2025 and 2028. For UHI North, West and Hebrides, the programme further demonstrates the university’s role in providing accessible postgraduate education that is closely connected to the needs of communities, employers and the regions it serves.
You can find more information about the course here.