A COLLEGE has had a dual visit from MPs- including the secretary of state for education- during Colleges Week.

Basingstoke’s MP Maria Miller and Secretary of State for Education Damian Hinds visited facilities at the Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT) on Friday last week.

Colleges Week, organised by the Association of Colleges (AoC), saw BCoT and many other institutions across the UK highlight the work that colleges do with students, businesses and communities while calling on the government and Mr Hinds to give colleges fairer funding.

Mrs Miller was at the college’s campus in Worting Road in the morning on Friday to discuss the issues raised in Colleges Week and to view some of the new investments at the institution.

This included seeing the cabin crew simulator room for travel and tourism students, and a major incident operation room for the use of the uniformed public services students.

Speaking to The Gazette, Mrs Miller said: “It was good to speak to the students, who were inspired by the high quality of facilities at BCoT, which is excellent. BCoT really delivers on high quality education in Basingstoke, and I am proud of what BCoT does.

“We are going to be looking at the way colleges are funded, they need to be able to deliver the training to help people skill and reskill.”

Mr Hinds then visited the Bordon-based Future Skills Centre in the afternoon on Friday, where he joined in a round-table meeting with BCoT principal Anthony Bravo and Julian Gravatt, deputy chief executive for the AoC.

Subjects up for discussion included the disparities between colleges and academies which has seen a lack of funding and investment in colleges while academy capital requirements are fully funded. Colleges are hit doubly hard as, unlike academies, their expenditure is subject to VAT meaning everything costs a college 20 per cent more than an academy.

Mr Hinds, who is also the MP for East Hampshire, was given a tour of the skills centre, which is a fully funded project supported by Hampshire County Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership. It illustrated how further education is filling the skills gap in the construction industry while supporting the local Bordon and Whitehall Regeneration Project.

Having this industry-specific facility has enabled BCoT to tailor a new 14-16 provision which includes work with local schools, develop new apprenticeship partnerships with employers such as Taylor Wimpey and offer work in the community for student enrichment activity.

Speaking to The Gazette, Mr Hinds said: “The college’s facility is going from strength to strength, and is taking advantage of apprentices and school leavers. They are also improving their English and maths skills.

“Here in Bordon, there is also a very important synergy with local housing developers.

“Colleges Week is a good thing to help celebrate our colleges and raise awareness of the good work they do and the issues they face too.

“I want more people to see the modern colleges and how they have evolved, it is very striking.”

Anthony Bravo, BCoT Principal said: “Despite experiencing a decade of funding cuts, colleges continue to play a vital role in the education and training of young people. Further education is key to the education system which trains 2.2 million people per year, yet all too often we come second to schools and universities."

“Funding for 16 and 17 year olds has not increased for seven years and colleges now have to deliver maths and English to this age group. For 18-year-olds our funding has been cut by 17.5 per cent and again we have to deliver English and maths resits.

“Core funding is now at unsustainable levels and is not without impact on curriculum choice, teaching hours, staff pay and learner support. It’s time to give colleges fairer funding and equal parity.”

Chief executive at the Association of Colleges, David Hughes, said: “Every single day colleges like Basingstoke College of Technology provide a world class education and transform the lives of millions of people.

“Colleges Week is an opportunity to celebrate the brilliant things that go on and a chance to showcase the brilliant staff that make it possible. It is simple, if we want a world-class education system then we need to properly invest in it.”