The proposed merger between two colleges is on target to achieving its vision of “One City, One College”, working to empower individuals, communities and employers to grow and succeed.
Highbury College and Portsmouth College plan to combine their complementary skills to form a single new institution – City of Portsmouth College.
Both Colleges believe Portsmouth and the surrounding areas deserve an enhanced choice of courses with industry leading qualifications. One of the many benefits of the merger include the opportunity for employers and businesses to influence the complete curriculum offer in the city to support the future workforce and economy.
The new College will also be well placed to bid for capital funding to further develop vocational training resources.
The union will also increase the capacity to respond to employer’s apprenticeship needs, as well as those seeking specialist training for their current workforce.
This includes free new courses for adults from a wide range of sectors from the National Skills Fund. Both Colleges are already working closely together to offer new mental wellbeing courses, including a mental health first aid at work qualification.
If agreed, the colleges will merge at the end of July 2021.
Penny Wycherley, Interim Principal and CEO of Highbury College, said: “This partnership is a great opportunity to support employers in and around Portsmouth while also helping to build a strong workforce of the future. We want to support businesses to return to work and to grow and flourish in Portsmouth.”
For more information, or to share your views, please visit www.portsmouth-college.ac.uk/consultation or www.highbury.ac.uk/consultation
