College in the running for Paperless award

Gower College Swansea has been shortlisted in the 2019 Public Sector Paperless Awards.

The Information Learning Technology team, which supports the use of digital technologies and innovations throughout the College, has been named as a finalist in the Best Small Scale Digital Application / Project category for their development of e-signatures for student funding and bus pass agreements.

“The purpose of the project was to create an in-house bespoke solution for the integration of electronic signatures into College processes and procedures,” says ILT Team Leader Kate Pearce.

“With funding support from JISC, who provide digital solutions for UK education and research, we were able to focus our efforts on the forms that our students need to complete to claim Educational Maintenance Allowance and Welsh Government Learning Grant payments. The overall aim of the initiative was to replace all paper-based elements of the process with the use of an electronic equivalent.” 

The development of this electronic system has improved the efficiency of the College’s funding and bus pass procedures and enhanced the student experience of the enrolment process. There have also been measurable and demonstrable savings in terms of both staff time and physical resources.

“In the four years since this project was implemented, the savings have been approximate to 44,000 sheets of paper, 40,000 poly pockets, 2000 staff hours – saved by not having to process and file documentation - and £4000 in storage costs,” adds Kate. “The obvious environmental benefit of not printing out reams and reams of paper has also played its part in the College being awarded the Green Dragon Environmental Standard.

“We are really delighted to have been short-listed for this award and are looking forward to attending the prize-giving event in July.”