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Originally known as The School of Building, Cambuslang, the College first opened its doors in August 1948 in Glasgow Road, Janebank, Cambuslang.  Its main function was to provide training in construction craft skills for school leavers and young apprentices employed in the construction industry.  At first, a one year full time course was offered to school leavers on a pre-apprenticeship training scheme – consisting of an introduction to all the construction crafts, with final craft selection on the completion of the course.  Day release was also available for craft apprentices who were in employment and following the appropriate City & Guilds of London Institute craft certificate course.

From its earliest years, strongly supported by local employers and school leavers, the School of Building was a success.  The College’s popularity soon meant that the original premises at Janebank were unable to cope with the increasing demand.  In 1952, additional premises were acquired at John Street, Blantyre, which provided training mainly in trowel crafts and carpentry and joinery.  Premises were also opened at Shields Road, Motherwell, to accommodate carpentry and joinery, plumbing, and painting and decorating.

Like many other further education training centres,  it was known as a mono-tech, specialising in just one discipline.  The School of Building, Cambuslang, remained a mono-tech for many years, continuing to specialise in construction subjects.  It was probably one of the last to move over to poly-tech or Community College status in 1983, when the name was changed to Cambuslang College.

Becoming a Community College in 1983 allowed the College to offer courses other than construction and additional accommodation was found in East Kilbride. Situated in the old East Kilbride Village, the Village Campus offered courses in accounting, business, management, office and information technology, computing, hospitality and catering, childcare and education, health care, social care and social science.  In 1985 the Allers Campus in Calderwood, East Kilbride was opened.  As well as office technology, childcare and education, this campus offered courses in carpentry and joinery and hairdressing, beauty therapy and holistic therapies.

As the College’s reputation grew, the demand for places continued to grown and by the mid 1980s, Cambuslang College had six centres throughout Lanarkshire – two in Cambuslang, two in East Kilbride, one in Hamilton, and one in Wishaw – giving the College a very large catchment area. In the late 1980s it was decided to bring the three separate buildings housing the construction department in Cambuslang on to one site in Hamilton Road, Cambuslang.

In 1993 all Colleges in Scotland were made autonomous.  To ensure financial stability for the future, some buildings were sold, and some were upgraded, and the provision was consolidated in three campuses – one in Cambuslang and at the Village and Allers in East Kilbride.

To reflect the wider community served by the College and the geographical diversity of the students, it was decided in 1999 to change the name of the College to South Lanarkshire College