Government invests further £400m to “transform” colleges across the country

62 further education colleges are to benefit from a share of more than £400m to upgrade buildings and transform campuses.

The colleges announced today will be the latest to benefit from the government’s £1.5bn Further Education Capital Transformation Fund. This investment is intended to support the transformation of post-16 education and training by ensuring colleges are “great places to learn” and students have access to modern, fit-for-purpose facilities.

The funding will support colleges to undertake building or refurbishment projects that will dramatically improve learning environments, including the creation of dedicated teaching facilities for subjects, such as automotive, ICT, science and engineering.

This, in turn, aims to support more students to get the training necessary to progress into “rewarding jobs’’ and plug skills gaps in local communities. Some colleges will also construct new teaching spaces to replace buildings in poor condition elsewhere in town centres or on campuses.

Minister for Skills Alex Burghart commented: “Our priority is making sure that every student receives the high-quality training needed to secure a well-paid job, so that businesses in growth sectors such as construction, engineering and digital have a strong talent pipeline as we continue to level up opportunities across the country.

“That is why we are investing to ensure colleges can create modern, fit-for-purpose spaces that meet the needs of students and the communities they serve – and most importantly continue to be fantastic places to learn.”

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