Craven College Bids for New-build Facility

Posted on Thursday 22nd July 2010

Craven College is urgently seeking to take advantage of a funding opportunity presented by the new Coalition Government. Amidst a background of challenging economic times throughout the public sector, £20 million has been allocated to the Further Education Sector for improvements to buildings. £1 million each will be allocated to 20 colleges who successfully bid for the funds.

Undeterred by the likelihood that there will be 160 colleges all over England bidding for the funds by the end of the month, Craven College believes it has an excellent case.  Principal Alan Blackwell refers to the very strong public support and backing given to the College from local businesses, voluntary organisations, schools, Town, District and County Councils, as integral to the strength of the case.

“We shall be saying in our bid that this £1 million is not just for Craven College, it is for the whole area.  Better facilities for our students will lead to an even stronger College to serve all members of our community”.

The new build on the College’s main Aireville Campus will feature specialised facilities and features to help students with physical or learning difficulties.  It will also create a focal point for enterprise so that students and apprentices embarking on their careers in a wide range of subject areas will all have access to cutting edge enterprise training, building on the College’s renowned specialism in Business Management and its commitment to support entrepreneurship in the area.  Another specialised feature of the building will be to incorporate Child Care training facilities.

All bids have to be submitted to the Skills Funding Agency by 30 July with the results published at the end of August, for the buildings ready for student use by September 2011.

“The overall plan is not necessarily to increase the volume of students” states the Principal “but to increase the quality of the facilities for our future learners.  A first class, outstanding, educational and training experience is the aim of the College for all of its students in the decades ahead, set by the Board of Governors and this will be a huge step towards that”.

The Principal also pays personal thanks to new MP Julian Smith who has been particularly proactive in championing the College’s case on the national stage.  Julian Smith states:  “I know that Craven College being as strong as possible is vital for the economic future of Skipton and Ripon. It is particularly important in these challenging times that enterprise is promoted and I am delighted that it is at the centre of the bid.”

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