Northumberland College receives grant to revamp Kirkley Hall campus and improve T level subjects

The money is set to take technical qualifications to a new level, with expansion of T Level subjects in areas critical to support the rural economy.

The number of courses on offer at Kirkley Hall is set to be expanded, and current ones improved. These include engineering, manufacturing, processing and control, maintenance, installation/ repair for engineering and manufacturing, agriculture, land management and production, animal management.

The new provision means new two-year courses will be offered which have been developed in collaboration with employers and are broadly equivalent to three A Levels.

These new qualifications will prepare the college students for entry into skilled employment, an apprenticeship or related technical study through further or higher education.

The capital investment from the T Level Capital Fund (TLCF) comes from the latest round of DfE support, a £74 million budget enabling the roll out of 86 T Level projects nationally.

The fund’s major investment in Northumberland will transform its Kirkley Hall campus, refurbishing and refitting classrooms, workshops and learning spaces to create first-class facilities.

Ellen Thinnesen OBE, chief executive of Education Partnership North East, said: “This is major news for Northumberland College and the communities we serve in the county. We’re delighted the Department for Education has the trust and confidence to invest in our college as this funding will transform not just what we deliver, but how we deliver it, ultimately providing improved access to technical career routes for our students.

“This investment will ensure our Kirkley Hall Campus in Ponteland, Northumberland is ahead of the curve particularly as it will enable us to deliver curriculum inclusive of green skills, biosecurity, environmental protection and improvement”.

Gary Potts, principal of Northumberland College said “I am delighted we can broaden our already high-quality offer at Kirkley Hall. It is paramount that we deliver the skills required now and into the future, to enable our local people to access long term sustainable careers in the region. This funding will enable us to do exactly that. I am particularly excited to introduce new engineering facilities but also our developments in agritech, aimed to develop skills for the emerging jobs in that sector, focusing on technology and data."