Government backs 21 colleges for £168m upgrades
The government has backed 21 colleges in its latest funding round to invest £168 million in building modern facilities.
Through the Skills Funding Agency, the government will top up the £91 million pledged by these colleges by £77.7 million.
The support comes from the second round of the College Capital Investment Fund (CCIF), which aims to make £550 million of funding available between 2013 and 2015.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “There is a longstanding backlog in college building and refitting. We are investing to address this. These colleges will be able to provide good teaching facilities in all parts of the country, helping us to build the skills base across the country.”
According to Skills Minister Matthew Hancock, nearly a million learners are suffering from a “substandard experience” because of poor estates and facilities.
The successful schemes include a £5.1 million STEM project and research centre at East Berkshire College, which will focus on engineering and construction.
The 21 funding winners are:
Barking and Dagenham College
Barnsley College
Brooksby Melton College
Central Bedfordshire College
Cornwall College
East Berkshire College
Fareham College
Great Yarmouth College
Harrow College
Hertford Regional
Hopwood Hall College
Middlesbrough College
Myerscough College
New College Stamford
Richmond Adult Community College
Salford City
Stoke on Trent College
The Bournemouth and Poole College
Trafford College
West Nottinghamshire
West Suffolk College
Natalie Thornhill
Responses