Moray College is to become part of a collaboration aimed at making it more responsive to the needs of young people.

The Elgin-based college will become part of a new Highlands and Islands region in an initiative announced by Michael Russell on Wednesday.

Under the proposal Scotland will be split into 12 distinct regions where further education colleges would collaborate, becoming more “efficient and responsive” to the needs of students and local economies.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament the Education Secretary said that Moray would join Perth, Lews Castle, Orkney, Shetland, Inverness, Argyll and the North and West Highland Colleges in the collaborative effort.

Mr Russell said: "Our system of post-16 education serves young people in Scotland well.

“Our colleges and universities do a good job of equipping students with the knowledge and skills they need for the workplace.

“However, that doesn't mean we are complacent, we need to make sure our system is the best it can be.

"I believe developing a regional basis for colleges will make the sector more efficient and responsive to the needs of students and local economies.

“This approach was proposed in two Scottish Government consultations last year and regionalisation has been strongly supported by the college sector and others in their responses.

"I expect colleges to collaborate and plan together within 12 newly-created regions and plan together and I expect provision to continue to be delivered locally.

“We will now work with the sector and the Scottish Funding Council to put these new arrangements in practice.”

The Scottish Government has published reviews carried out by Professor Griggs and Professor von Prondzynski into further and higher education governance. The minister said: “There is much in both of these reports that make sense and I believe they can help develop the way our institutions are managed.

"I plan to take the recommendations of these reviews forward in discussion and consultation with the further and higher education sectors as we reform post-16 education and put learners at the centre of our education system."