Brighton and Hove college spells out funding challenges

City College Brighton and Hove said that it faced two key challenges in trying to provide a wide range of adult education courses as government spending cuts began to bite.

The further education college said that adult learning budgets had been cut by 25 per cent.

At the same time the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition told institutions like City College to reduce the level of subsidy by 50 per cent.

Ministers said that they believed that learners or their employers should pay more of the cost of their courses.

City College’s adult and community learning manager Heather Shaw said: “It’s a really challenging time for colleges across the country when it comes to providing adult learning.

“However, as Brighton and Hove’s community college, opportunities for lifelong learning must remain a fundamental part of what we offer.

“So we’re continuing to provide hundreds of weekday, evening and weekend courses both at the college and at local community venues.

“It’s important that we’re still offering as much variety as possible so our courses still include the arty and creative side of learning alongside languages and practical courses in areas such as cookery or computing.

“Enrolling on a community learning or adult part-time course isn’t just a great way to learn a new skill or gain a qualification but is also a confidence booster, providing the opportunity to meet new people and improve health and wellbeing.”

She said that the college could waive tuition fees for unemployed people on state benefits on some courses which led to accredited qualifications.

To be eligible, applicants must sign a self-declaration form at their enrolment session.

The form states that the applicant is currently unemployed, in receipt of a state benefit, wants to enter employment and needs additional skills to do so.

City College was recently praised as good with outstanding features by independent inspectors from Ofsted, the official watchdog.