Burstow to meet minister about Carshalton college funding

11.37.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 1st May 2009

MP for Sutton and Cheam, Paul Burstow, has secured a meeting with the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, John Denham, to discuss the financial uncertainties at Carshalton College after the Government unexpectedly changed funding arrangements.

David Watkins, the principal of Carshalton College asked Mr Burstow, to raise the Minister responsible for higher education funding about a decision to cap funding for a scheme which the Government had promised would be funded as the demand required.

Following encouragement from the Learning and Skills Council to focus their resources on work place training, Carshalton College invested heavily to adapt to the requirements for these types of training.

Despite this upheaval the college has recently been told that funding will be capped and with no money available for new learners they will be left with a shortfall of over £100,000, with a further budget reduction scheduled for the following year.

Mr Burstow called on the Secretary of State to allow colleges more flexibility in their budgeting arrangements so funds could be transferred from allocations which may not be fully spent due to changing learning needs in the recession.

Commenting Mr Burstow said:

'The Learning and Skills Council exhorted Carshalton College to scale up workplace based training at great cost to the college. They said that funding would be demand led but have now capped it and cut it.

'There is a desperate need to invest in up-skilling and re-skilling the workforce to be ready when the economic upturn comes. This funding uncertainty is not helping. What I want the Minister to agree to is more flexibility between budgets, that means trusting Principals to get on with running their colleges. The meeting will give the college a chance to make their case directly to the Minister.'