Preston College has been awarded £1.6million to upgrade its buildings.
The facility is one of 175 colleges to benefit from a total of £307m of additional government funding for the next academic year. Colleges will be given the flexibility to decide how the funding is spent, so it can be directed where it is needed most.
Announcing the funding, the Department for Education said the government was “turning the page on years of neglect”. It says the improvements will restore pride in England’s colleges, break down barriers to opportunities, reduce disruptions to lessons and provide better spaces for students to focus and succeed.
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The funding is part of a £1.7 billion investment from the government’s Industrial Strategy for colleges to modernise buildings by 2030, something which is said to be key to delivering on a target for two-thirds of young people to be taking a gold standard apprenticeship, higher training or heading to university by the age of 25.
Announcing the funding, Skills Minister Jacqui Smith 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 £307 million investment will repair and modernise facilities across all 175 colleges in England, giving young people the spaces they need to build the skills they need for good careers, helping to drive economic growth.”
Blog Preston has asked Preston College about its plans for how the funds will be spent but has yet to receive a response by the time of publication.
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