Three Worcestershire Further Education colleges have been successful in their bid for funding from the Department for Education’s Local Skills Improvement Fund. Kidderminster College NCG, Heart of Worcestershire College and Warwickshire College Group submitted a collaborative bid to the Local Skills Improvement Fund as part of the initiative to address key skills shortage areas across Worcestershire.
Many local stakeholders supported the bid, including the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, Worcestershire LEP and Worcestershire County Council.
The three college partners have secured just under £2.5 million in funding, which will help support new capital developments, including a Leadership and Sustainability Hub at Kidderminster College, a Digital Leadership Hub at Heart of Worcestershire College and an Agri-Tech Sustainability Hub at Pershore College. As well as the development of sector-leading physical infrastructure, the projects will also have a legacy in creating innovative training resources that will support businesses to grow and invest in Worcestershire by meeting their skills needs.
The project aims to build on place-based collaborations that will create a future-focused skills and training infrastructure and support a more coordinated offer across Worcestershire to achieve objectives outlined in the Local Skills Improvement Plan.
Cat Lewis, Principal of Kidderminster College, said: This is a fascinating opportunity for the FE Colleges in Worcestershire to work together to meet the skills challenges set out in the Local Skills Improvement Plan, as well as providing a legacy of high-quality resources and provision that will drive economic growth in the years ahead. The project is due to be delivered by March 2025, and we look forward to sending out further updates as the project develops.
General enquiries about the project can be directed in the first instance to Melissa Yeomans, Kidderminster College, myeomans@kidderminster.ac.uk