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Colleges receive £400m investment in skills

Colleges across the UK will receive a £400m boost to skills and training projects from the Government and educational institutions.

The Government has pledged £110m through the Skills Funding Agency to go towards schemes such as engineering academies and facilities for vocational training.

Colleges will invest £302m along with the Government in the third phase of the Enhanced Renewal Grant (ERG3), which has ushered in £330m since May 2010 and supported more than £1bn of investment into English college buildings.

Successful bids for the fund include Kingston College, which received £7.7m to develop a creative industries building, and Burton and South Derbyshire College, which received £8.1m to revamp its campus and arts facilities.

Business secretary Vince Cable commented: “These projects will transform the learning environment for thousands of students across the country, providing them with state-of-the-art facilities and modern resources that will help them fulfil their potential.

“Addressing gaps in skills is an important part of our industrial strategy. This initiative is another example of how Government is working in long-term partnership with industry to give them more confidence to invest, hire and grow.”

South Essex College was also amongst the recipients of funding, with a £3m grant to go towards the £40m they raised to build a town centre site, while Bridgwater College in Somerset received £4m to go towards an agriculture building.

Kim Thorneywork, Chief Executive of the Skills Funding Agency, said: “It is great news that the Agency and BIS are able to announce the successful colleges who will receive government funding, through the Agency, to support their projects and enable them to be brought to life.

“This additional funding demonstrates the Government’s continued commitment to the further education estate allowing students to grow and flourish in an exciting, inspirational, modern learning environment in the heart of the local community.”

All colleges were offered the opportunity in May this year to apply for up to £3m for individual projects, while the Government specifically targeted institutions that had not previously received funding.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .