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Portsmouth MP calls on Government to properly fund city colleges

By 14 May 2019September 8th, 2022No Comments

From the 13-17 May it is #LoveOurColleges week, a week of action where colleges from across the nation will be hosting events and engaging with their local politicians in an effort to emphasise that the government needs to properly invest in the sector

The ‘Love Our Colleges’ campaign is a partnership between Association of Colleges (AoC), National Union of Students (NUS), Association of College and School Leaders (ASCL), University and Colleges Union (UCU), Unison, GMB, TUC and National Education Union (NEU).

As it currently stands, 16-18-year olds receive the least money of any age group and experts widely agree that the base rate needs to be raised from £4,000 to £4.760 per sixth form student. 

Portsmouth MP, Stephen Morgan has said:

“In the last decade we have seen average funding cuts of 30% hit our colleges and we know that the current amount of money allocated to each student is not sufficient if we are to have a globally competitive education sector.

As someone who grew up in the city and attended Portsmouth College, I want future generations to see improvements.

Colleges are essential to social mobility, whether they are a stepping stone on the route to University or provide building blocks that set young people up for future careers, they play a crucial role in the prosperity of the nation.

Now is the time for action. We need to see a comprehensive plan from the Government setting out how they will address our colleges concerns. Following my raising of this in Parliament I am committed to continuing to call on Ministers until we see the improvements needed”.

In an attempt to raise awareness of this funding gap, Mr Morgan has already organised a meeting between the Education Minister responsible and Portsmouth College, spoken in a Parliamentary debate calling on the government to increase the funding and regularly he meets with the Association of Colleges to discuss future strategy.

Simon Barrable, Principal of Portsmouth College has said:

Colleges across the country are doing great work with 16 -18 year olds, adults and apprentices and Portsmouth College is no exception.

We are at the heart of our community and pride ourselves in doing all we can to meet that community’s needs. If we are to continue to build on this great work, we do need a fair funding settlement.

With basic funding for 16 – 18 year olds static since 2013 and funding for adult learners being cut, we are now feeling like the squeezed sector of the education system. That’s a shame when we have so many great ideas on how we can further improve post-16 education in the city.”

Colleges across England educate and train 2.2 million people every year and there is a growing acceptance that their role is vital in improving the country’s productivity and reducing the nation’s growing skills gap.

A recent survey showed that 6 in 10 SMEs say that finding employees with the right skills is their biggest concern – with 58% believing that the UK will get left behind if government doesn’t address the issue. These businesses said that colleges are best placed to skill the future workforce that they need.

David Hughes, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, said:

“The financial viability of colleges is as hard as it has ever been. This is despite the fact they are embedded within their local community and work with employers to provide solutions to people of all ages.

If we want to achieve success, locally, regionally and nationally, we must ensure they’re properly supported.”