Cornwall College’s plans for a state-of-the-art, £24million campus have taken a major step forward after it was named as one of just 16 colleges in England to receive a share of £1.5billion from the Government.
The further education capital transformation fund was launched in September 2021 to rebuild and transform college estates and create modern, fit-for-purpose spaces that meet the needs of students and the communities they serve.
The same month The Cornwall College Group (TCCG) revealed it was .
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TCCG chief executive and principal John Evans said the announcement was a “momentous” occasion for St Austell and the college group, and paves the way for their ambitious plans.
“We want to create a real centre of educational excellence at our St Austell site,” he said. “We have been heavily investing in our student experiences and teaching, and a recent Ofsted visit recognised the quality of our recent work in this area.
“However, one thing I have been determined to achieve since taking on this role in 2019 is the upgrading of our facilities – and the campus at John Keay House has been a top priority of mine. We hope that being earmarked in this latest round of capital transformation funding is an important next step to achieving this.”
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Kym O’Mara, the newly appointed head of campus for Cornwall College St Austell, added: “This is an incredibly exciting time for the college and our future students.
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“This also signifies a huge leap forward for our college, which is currently going through a significant programme of change. Ever since our new leadership team was appointed in 2019, we have seen continual improvement and investment, and today’s news will mean that we only add to this.
“Of course, as a community college, it is not just our young people that this investment will benefit. We have an enormous range on offer for adults too, both in professional qualifications, including apprenticeships and leisure courses and many of our local businesses and organisations are able to take advantage of our onsite facilities as well.”
St Austell and Newquay Tory MP Steve Double said the Government announcement was “really excellent news for St Austell”. He added: “John and I have the same ambitions for the town and surrounding areas and have been united in our desire to see a new campus building to replace the John Keay House site for a number of years.
“I am hopeful that with this funding boost, the exceptional range of courses and apprenticeships available, and the other investments being made, even more school-leavers will decide to stay in St Austell to continue their studies and that quality further education provision will be secured for future generations of young people in the town.”