Bournemouth and Poole College is to receive a huge boost to its finances.

The College’s Lansdowne and North Road sites have been identified as one of 16 colleges across the country to receive government funding.

Diane Grannell, principal, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen to receive this funding which will future-proof our facilities for future generations. This government investment will also ensure we can continue to offer exceptional training to our students both now and in the future.

“We will share more details as the plans develop and look forward to working with our key partners, BCP Council and Meyrick Estates, on the scheme.”

The first phase of the government’s £1.5 billion FE Capital Transformation Fund was launched in September 2020, with an initial £200 million allocated to all colleges so they could undertake immediate remedial work to refurbish their buildings.

Following this, in January 2021, a second phase was launched where all colleges were invited to bid for additional funding to help upgrade their campuses. Bids are now being considered by Department for Education (DfE) with funding expected to be awarded this autumn.

This third and final phase will involve the DfE working in partnership with the 16 colleges to fund projects to enable more people to gain the skills that they need to secure great jobs.