The government has promised a further £400 million boost for colleges across England as part of the next phase in the Further Education Capital Transformation Fund (FECTF).
62 colleges, including The Manchester College, Bath College, and Croydon College, are set to get a share of the £400m, according to Gov.uk on Monday, April 4.
What is the FE Fund?
The Further Education Capital Transformation Fund is part of the government’s programme committing £1.5 billion to upgrade the estate of FE colleges and designated institutions in England.
The colleges are to use the funding to:
- upgrade buildings in need of improvement and modernisation
- create high quality learning environments with improved energy efficiency and reduced maintenance
- invest in new industrial training facilities designed to support young people to develop a range of skills in high priority and high value sectors
- refurbish and upgrade teaching facilities in STEM subjects
The first phase of the fund saw an initial £200 million allocated to all colleges so they could carry out urgent remedial work to refurbish their buildings.
Following this, in April 2021, the government announced plans to work in partnership with 16 colleges with some of the poorest condition sites in the country to upgrade their sites. Construction is under way at one of these projects – Stafford College – and others will soon be ready to begin works, the government has said.
‘Levelling Up Opportunities’
The Minister for Skills, Alex Burghart, said the government is committed to levelling up opportunities for students and make spaces that fit ‘the needs of students’.
Burghart said: ‘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.’
The full list of recipients can be viewed here.