£4 million funding boost for repairs and modernisation at City of Portsmouth College and HSDC
Two “run down” colleges will benefit from a major funding boost as the government invests millions to turn the page on years of neglect.
The government has today (April 1) announced plans to inject £42 million of funding to make major improvements and repairs at 24 colleges across the south east.
Among the list of schools set to benefit from the boost is the City of Portsmouth College, which will receive £2,391,855.82, and Havant and South Downs College (HSDC), which has secured £1,806,064.14 - marking a combined total of more than £4million.
City of Portsmouth College has three main campuses across the city alongside its Arundel campus which offers adult learning courses, while HSDC consists of its Alton College, Havant and South Downs sites.
Each college receiving money will be given the flexibility to decide how the funding is spent, so it can be directed where it is needed most.
This funding comes following “devastating” job cuts at HSDC last year due to a financial blackhole of £3.7 million and industrial action at City of Portsmouth College over pay disputes.
Jacqui Smith, skills minister, said: "The young people in these colleges are the engineers, bricklayers and designers of the future, and they and the dedicated staff teaching them deserve the best possible environment to learn and succeed.
"This £42 million investment will repair and modernise facilities across all 24 colleges in the South East, giving young people the spaces they need to build the skills they need for good careers, helping to drive economic growth."
These major upgrades aim to break down barriers to opportunity for students, with fewer disruptions to lessons, more comfortable learning environments, and better spaces for students to focus and succeed.
The fund has been boosted by £5 million since last year, when it was introduced in response to colleges calling for a reliable annual allocation to plan and maintain their estates. It is part of a £1.7 billion investment from the government’s Industrial Strategy for colleges to modernise buildings by 2030.
The new funding follows the announcement of £570 million to increase capacity in colleges to train the next generation of skilled workers.
The government has also recently revealed plans to improve post-16 education, through the introduction of structured professional development for further education teachers, and an expectation that colleges deliver at least 100 hours of face-to-face English and maths teaching for those who haven’t passed those GCSEs.