Barnsley College to receive significant chunk of Government funding
BARNSLEY College is one of the successful further education institutions around the UK to gain a significant sum of Government funds to build modern facilities.
21 colleges throughout the country will invest £168m in building modern facilities thanks to the Government investment. Many of these new projects are for skills training in sectors vital for growing British industry including engineering, construction and automotive.
Barnsley College is set to get £5.3m worth of funding, 33% of the £15.9m project.
The Barnsley College sixth form project will replace four different sites with one modern sixth form, which will create a centre of excellence for A level
provision in Barnsley. The creation of an atrium and administration block, humanities and science technology engineering and maths zones are hoped to significantly increase participation and achievement rates for all students.
The new sixth form will contribute to the regeneration of Barnsley and provide
a further catalyst for economic growth.
The Government said it is targeting those in the greatest need of help and those that can best support growth by investing £77.7m through the Skills Funding Agency. This will be matched with more than a £91.1m investment from colleges.
Secretary of state for business, innovation and skills, Vince Cable said: “Vocational education and skills are an important part of rebalancing our economy. They not only help with widening participation, but also help to provide a workforce best equipped for the modern world.
“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.”
Skills Minister Matthew Hancock said: “To grow British industry and compete in the global race we need our colleges to produce highly skilled engineers, designers, mechanics and builders.
“However nearly a million learners in this country have a substandard experience due to poor estates and facilities.
“To produce world-class talent we must have the facilities to match so over the next two years we have are investing £550m in colleges. This will help to build the state of the art workshops and research centres to help young people reach their full potential.”
This funding is the second round of the College Capital Investment Fund (CCIF), through which £550m is being made available between 2013 and 2015.
This latest round of funding comes after 47 colleges received funds through the Enhanced Renewal Grant Three and two more through an initial round of CCIF.
BIS has also announced a third round of funding, which will be considered in the autumn.
