The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills confirmed that 22 colleges would receive £194m in capital investment for the improvement of facilities.
The funding is split into two parts: £113.8m of government grants matched by £80.5m of local investment.
The government share of the funding has been allocated as part of the most recent fourth round of the College Capital Investment Fund.
The scheme involves the building of specialist construction centres, advanced engineering facilities and cutting-edge design departments across the UK.
There are a total of four projects with an overall budget over £10m. These include the £30m second phase development of LeSoCo college’s Waterloo Campus in London.
Similarly, the Lambeth College has been given a green light for its new learning hub in Clapham, worth £12m.
In the southwest region of the county, Somerset College is planning to spend £12m for upgrade and refurbishment works of its iconic art and design building in Taunton.
Finally, the City of Sunderland College can also go ahead with plans to spend £16.5m on new buildings for advanced engineering, construction and automotive trades departments.
Since the start of the CCIF in December 2012, the government has invested over £471m in new college buildings and facilities, which has facilitated the delivery of projects across the UK worth over £920m.
A former CCIF grant recipient, Skills and Enterprise Minister Matthew Hancock said: “Effective capital investment has a significant educational and economic impact, helping attract learners back into education and training, improving learner outcomes, and boosting the businesses and communities they serve.
“As part of the government’s long term economic plan we must ensure that further education and vocational training is of the highest possible quality and this vital investment will help make that a reality.”
The Government expects that the new facilities will improve teaching and learning in Construction Skills, which in its turn will boost local economic growth.
Photo: Construction Enquirer
