Ludlow College and HCT partnership attracts £2 million funding (From Ludlow Advertiser)

Ludlow College and HCT partnership attracts £2 million funding

8:00am Friday 12th October 2012 in News By Adrian Kibbler

IT’S been confirmed that a proposed merger between Ludlow College and Herefordshire College of Technology will result in an injection of up to £2 million in the facility.

It will mean additional courses but there will be job losses as a result of rationalisation of administrative support.

Ludlow is the smallest sixth form college in the country with 450 full time students and with Government funding based upon head count its viability has been in doubt.

A search for a new partner began in the summer and agreement has now been reached with implementation from September 2013.

But Herefordshire College of Technology will bring 1,900 students to the party.

“There have been rumours about the future of Ludlow College for a long time and hopefully this will mean an end to speculation that is harmful,”

said Ewart Carson, chairman of governors at the college.

“Students will see no change other than improvements,”

he added.

Investment will include improving the IT system and more teachers but some of the administrative and support jobs will be at risk.

At the moment Ludlow College employs 140 people of whom about 40 are lecturers and teaching staff.

“We have capacity for up to 600 students and so there is no additional building planned at this stage,” said Jonathan Davis, principal of Ludlow College.

Herefordshire College of Technology concentrates on vocational type courses and has no plans to add Alevels to its curriculum as these will be delivered in Ludlow.

Ian Peake, principal of Herefordshire College of Technology, said that the coming together of the colleges was a merger and not a take-over that would be good for further education in south Shropshire and north Herefordshire.