20 April 2000
MAJOR INCREASE IN FURTHER EDUCATION FUNDING: ADAM INGRAM
Further education in Northern Ireland is to get a significant funding increase in the next academic year, Minister of State, Adam Ingram, announced this morning.
Recurrent funding will increase overall by 11.8%, while the capital funding available is almost doubled.
Making the announcement, Mr Ingram said: "I am delighted to be able to provide this substantial increase in funding for the coming year. It is evidence of Government's continuing commitment to developing a culture of Lifelong Learning.
"The funding increase will also allow colleges to support the recommendations of Strategy 2010 by developing provision that will meet the needs of local business and industry."
The package of measures announced by the Minister today includes:
- a 4% increase in core college recurrent funding (1.5% above inflation);
- investment of £5.8 million in 4 new initiatives designed to support the Northern Ireland economy; widen access and increase participation; and raise standards of teaching and learning; and
- development of specific centres of excellence and other capital investment, including the major PFI development schemes at Omagh and East Tyrone colleges announced in March.
The Minister added: "It is important that those leaving school have the skills that they and industry need to succeed. But it is also vital to ensure that the existing workforce, whether employed or unemployed, have the chance to obtain new skills which will enable them to meet the challenges of the modern workplace.
"The measures I am announcing today will enable the further education sector to play its part in meeting Northern Ireland's skills needs and helping to develop the knowledge-based economy that is vital to our future success."
NOTES TO EDITORS
- There are 17 FE Colleges in Northern Ireland with combined enrolments of 86,300 students on vocational courses.
- The main increase is in capital funding which has increased from £8.48 million in 1999/2000 to £16.6 million in 2000/2001, an uplift of 95%. Recurrent funding has increased by 11.8% in the same period. Individual college budgets are based on student enrolments and, therefore, the increase will vary college by college.
- The four new initiatives are:
The Skills Fund (£1 million)
The fund will reward colleges immediately for recruiting additional adult students to courses at Levels 2 and 3 in the skills areas recognised as important to the regional economy. The purpose of the Fund is to encourage the FE sector to skew provision towards the needs of the local economy and, at the same time, increase participation.
Access Initiative (£1 million)
This is essentially a TSN initiative designed to widen access and to increase participation by individuals and groups who, for whatever reason, have been previously excluded. Colleges will be invited to bid for a share of the funds available to target identified needs in their locality.
Strategic Investment Initiative (£3.5 million)
This is a major initiative intended to sharpen the economic focus of the sector in line with Strategy 2010 while, at the same time, driving up standards. There will be 3 elements to the Initiative:
- collaboration between colleges on provision;
- helping align staffing to the new economic direction; and,
- creating specific centres of excellence.
Curriculum 2000 (£0.34 million)
Each college will receive an allocation of £20k to help meet the cost of implementing Curriculum 2000 from 1 September.