Leicester College has successfully bid for £37,000 funding from HEFCE to put towards buying a CNC machine to offer enhanced skills for up to 180 learners. The Machine will be located in the new purpose built engineering facility planned for the Abbey Park Campus.

Paul Spooner, Curriculum Area Manager for Engineering said “I am delighted with the news. 2015 will be an incredibly exciting time for Engineering and Motor Vehicle at Leicester College. We currently offer excellent facilities for our learners and with this new HEFCE funding this will continue. Engineering and STEM subjects are pivotal to the future of the economy and it is vital that we continue to encourage young people to invest in these skills.”

In July 2014 Leicester College was allocated funding from the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership for the expansion of the College’s current Motor Vehicle provision, with a new purpose-built Engineering Skills Centre at the Abbey Park Campus.

Leicester College is set to receive a share of the HEFCE funding for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) during 2015-2016.

The Government confirmed the 73 universities and colleges that will receive a share of the STEM funding on the Monday 8 December 2014.

The scheme is intended to ensure that higher education responds effectively to the increase in demand for STEM studies by developing facilities that will support an increased flow of highly employable graduates into industry.

Madeleine Atkins, Chief Executive of HEFCE, said:

‘This funding is badly needed by universities and colleges to meet the increased interest in science and engineering. It will also ensure that students benefit from state-of-the-art equipment and laboratories, and are thereby equipped for the workplace of the 21st century.’

‘I am particularly pleased to see successful projects across all parts of the country, and the degree to which institutions are focusing their investment to support their local economies and key industry partners.’