Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the funding period for the Harrogate College rebuild.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Harrogate College project was awarded funding from the further education capital transformation fund (FE CTF), and the college capital loans scheme (CCLS), to improve the condition of the building. Under the terms of the FE CTF grant, projects needed to be completed by December 2024, and for the loan, final drawdowns were required by March 2025. We understand that the project will now not be able to meet these terms due to unforeseen planning delays.
The department’s capital funding for the 2025/26 financial year will be confirmed at the 30 October Budget. Capital funding beyond this period is subject to a multi-year spending review which will conclude in spring 2025.
Payment of grant and drawdown of loan funding is done in arrears, based on evidence of spend submitted by the college, so disbursement of the funding to colleges awarded grants through the FE CTF or loans through the CCLS does not begin until works start on their capital projects.
All bids to the FE CTF were assessed against a range of criteria, including whether they would support delivery of both national and local skills priorities, aligning with the local skills improvement plans.
Departmental officials have regular discussions with Luminate Education Group about their capital projects, including Harrogate College, to keep the department appraised of developments.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with (a) local authorities and (b) other stakeholders on delays to the Harrogate College rebuild, in the context of the ongoing judicial review in relation to the planning application for that project.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Harrogate College project was awarded funding from the further education capital transformation fund (FE CTF), and the college capital loans scheme (CCLS), to improve the condition of the building. Under the terms of the FE CTF grant, projects needed to be completed by December 2024, and for the loan, final drawdowns were required by March 2025. We understand that the project will now not be able to meet these terms due to unforeseen planning delays.
The department’s capital funding for the 2025/26 financial year will be confirmed at the 30 October Budget. Capital funding beyond this period is subject to a multi-year spending review which will conclude in spring 2025.
Payment of grant and drawdown of loan funding is done in arrears, based on evidence of spend submitted by the college, so disbursement of the funding to colleges awarded grants through the FE CTF or loans through the CCLS does not begin until works start on their capital projects.
All bids to the FE CTF were assessed against a range of criteria, including whether they would support delivery of both national and local skills priorities, aligning with the local skills improvement plans.
Departmental officials have regular discussions with Luminate Education Group about their capital projects, including Harrogate College, to keep the department appraised of developments.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Harrogate College rebuild on (a) skills development and (b) local employment opportunities.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Harrogate College project was awarded funding from the further education capital transformation fund (FE CTF), and the college capital loans scheme (CCLS), to improve the condition of the building. Under the terms of the FE CTF grant, projects needed to be completed by December 2024, and for the loan, final drawdowns were required by March 2025. We understand that the project will now not be able to meet these terms due to unforeseen planning delays.
The department’s capital funding for the 2025/26 financial year will be confirmed at the 30 October Budget. Capital funding beyond this period is subject to a multi-year spending review which will conclude in spring 2025.
Payment of grant and drawdown of loan funding is done in arrears, based on evidence of spend submitted by the college, so disbursement of the funding to colleges awarded grants through the FE CTF or loans through the CCLS does not begin until works start on their capital projects.
All bids to the FE CTF were assessed against a range of criteria, including whether they would support delivery of both national and local skills priorities, aligning with the local skills improvement plans.
Departmental officials have regular discussions with Luminate Education Group about their capital projects, including Harrogate College, to keep the department appraised of developments.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timescale is for disbursing funding allocated to Harrogate College for the rebuild project.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Harrogate College project was awarded funding from the further education capital transformation fund (FE CTF), and the college capital loans scheme (CCLS), to improve the condition of the building. Under the terms of the FE CTF grant, projects needed to be completed by December 2024, and for the loan, final drawdowns were required by March 2025. We understand that the project will now not be able to meet these terms due to unforeseen planning delays.
The department’s capital funding for the 2025/26 financial year will be confirmed at the 30 October Budget. Capital funding beyond this period is subject to a multi-year spending review which will conclude in spring 2025.
Payment of grant and drawdown of loan funding is done in arrears, based on evidence of spend submitted by the college, so disbursement of the funding to colleges awarded grants through the FE CTF or loans through the CCLS does not begin until works start on their capital projects.
All bids to the FE CTF were assessed against a range of criteria, including whether they would support delivery of both national and local skills priorities, aligning with the local skills improvement plans.
Departmental officials have regular discussions with Luminate Education Group about their capital projects, including Harrogate College, to keep the department appraised of developments.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how she plans to work with (a) colleges and (b) employers to ensure that there are sufficient high-quality placements for T Level study programmes.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government believes all young people and adults should have access to high-quality training that meets their needs and provides them with opportunities to thrive. T Levels are high-quality qualifications which provide young people with a firm foundation for their future. The industry placement of at least 315 hours (approximately 45 days) is a key part of T Levels and helps open the door into skilled employment, further study or a higher apprenticeship.
The department provides a programme of support for colleges and other T Level providers to help them to deliver high quality industry placements. This includes workshops, webinars, continuing professional development support and online guidance. Providers also receive £550 per industry placement student as part of their wider 16 to 19 funding allocation to support the costs of sourcing and setting up industry placements. Providers are also able to use their 16 to 19 bursary funding to support disadvantaged students to access placements.
The department is working to raise awareness of T Levels amongst employers, and the benefits of industry placements to their organisations’ talent pipelines. The department has launched the new Skills for Life “It all starts with skills” campaign. This national campaign underpins its activities to raise awareness of T Levels, with TV and cinema advertising tailored to young people and employers, alongside billboards and posters. The department also offers guidance, workshops and webinars to help employers understand the benefits of offering placements and how to do this successfully. Over 600 members of the T Level Ambassadors Network work across the country in their industries to champion T Levels and placements, via events, webinars and social media.
More information on the support available can be found at: https://support.tlevels.gov.uk/hc/en-gb and: https://employers.tlevels.gov.uk/hc/en-gb.