Passionate about driving economic growth, the largest provider of post-16 education in the region, Cheshire College, have secured over £500,000 under the £18m Higher Technical Education Growth Fund to extend and enhance their Higher Education offer, including developing facilities and buying new industry-leading equipment to support and enrich the curriculum.
Announced by the Department for Education, the College is one of 100 educational providers who received funding from the Growth Fund to support higher-level training.
Level 4 and 5 qualifications are central to growing the quantity and quality of higher technical education and this initiative will provide local people with greater access to high-quality alternatives to university degrees.
Boosting the uptake and quality of Higher Technical Education – technical qualifications that sit between A Levels and degrees – and supporting individuals to study more flexibly throughout their lives is a key part of the Government’s landmark reforms to post-16 education and training.
The funding will allow the College to purchase equipment such as Drones, Trimble Laser Scanners and Mixed Reality Headsets to support the development of higher-level curriculum.
The Department for Education said the funding will also “help them to boost links with local businesses in key sectors such as digital, construction and healthcare”.
Helen Nellist, Deputy Principal and Deputy CEO, said: “Cheshire College are extremely proud to offer exciting opportunities to over 11,000 learners and 1,000 Apprentices, providing them with the skills and experiences needed to excel in their future and make valuable contributions to the local economy.
“We hear a lot about the growing demand for digital and construction skills, so we have placed great importance on developing clear pathways into these industries and continue to work closely with employers to ensure we understand and can react to their specific needs.”
Higher Education at Cheshire College offers high-quality teaching from industry and academic professionals at a lower tuition fee with smaller class sizes to ensure learners are able to get the most out of their studies and achieve the qualification they’ve always dreamed of. With a range of courses available across subjects such as, Education, Business, Visual Arts, Construction and Engineering there’s never been a better time to Stay Near, Go Far. To find out more about Higher Education at Cheshire College click here.