Yorkshire colleges given £30m funding boost

Students across Yorkshire will see major upgrades to their colleges after the government pledged £30m to repair and improve buildings.

Grants ranging between £4.2m and and £425,000 have been awarded to 18 colleges and college groups across the region.

The Department for Education (DfE) said the funding would "turn the page on years of neglect", from repairing leaky roofs and broken windows to updating heating systems.

Among the recipients are Barnsley College, who will receive close to £2.39m, Bradford College, who have been given £2m, Kirklees College, which has received £1.8m, and Askham Bryan College, which has been handed £837,000.

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 £30m investment will repair and modernise facilities across all 18 colleges in Yorkshire and the Humber, giving young people the spaces they need to build the skills they need for good careers, helping to drive economic growth."

Other locations to benefit include Bishop Burton College, which has been given £1.2m, Leeds-based Luminate Education Group, which will receive £4.2m, and Hull College, which has been awarded nearly £1.3m

A spokesperson for Bradford College said the investment would fund "essential improvements to both the sustainability and safety of our estate".

Thy said: "From upgrading critical infrastructure like heating and lighting systems to restoring heritage features such as the Lister Building dome, this funding ensures our students and staff benefit from high-quality, safe and inspiring learning environments."

The funding is part of a £1.7bn investment from the government's Industrial Strategy for colleges to modernise buildings by 2030.

It comes on top of the government's announcement of £570m to increase capacity in colleges to train the next generation of skilled workers.

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