New Skills Space opens in Laidlaw Library
Access to skills support improved by new Skills Space.
Kenny McDowall, Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor for Student Education and Experience, and Michael Fake, Libraries Associate Director for Student Learning and Experience, cut the ribbon to officially open the new Skills Space on Wednesday 10 September 2025 at an event celebrating the work of both staff and students to create the new facility.
Located on the ground floor of Laidlaw Library, the Skills Space will enable students at any stage of their academic journey to more easily identify and access in-person academic and digital skills support. Popular Skills@Library activities and resources will be hosted here, including the Writing Space, maths and statistics drop-ins and one-to-one appointments. The Libraries’ wide-ranging skills book collection is also housed here.
We are proud of what we have achieved together, and even more excited about the impact this space will have on our students and the wider University community.
Purpose-designed to enhance learning and development, the Skills Space considers the different needs and requirements of students. With individual pods for appointments and private study, movable furniture for adaptable room layouts, access to IT equipment and charging points, comfortable seating, natural lighting and a muted colour palette, its features were developed with inclusivity in mind.
Michael Fake, Associate Director for Student Learning and Experience said: “The dedication, creativity, and resilience of everybody involved has made this vision a reality. We are proud of what we have achieved together, and even more excited about the impact this space will have on our students and the wider University community.”
The space will also host wider skills support from across the University, including Surfacing Skills events for work-ready, sustainability and enterprise skills. The space embodies the Libraries' commitment to facilitate skills advancement opportunities for all.
Kenny McDowall, Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor for Student Education and Experience said: “The success of this project is a testament to the power of collaboration with our student community and with Surfacing Skills colleagues including the Library, Careers, the Digital Education Service, Sustainability and Enterprise.”
Learn more about how the Libraries' enable students to take ownership of their academic and digital skills development on our academic skills webpages. If you are interested in using the space to host some student-facing skills development activities, please contact the Learning Development Team through the brief expression of interest form.
