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8TH AUG 2008
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 New Prime Minister Gordon Brown will know where to look if he wants an example of how an Further Education College should be run - he can refer to his 2006 visit to Bedford College.
In the countdown to his take-over of No 10, Mr Brown called in at the riverside college campus and afterwards talked on TV about Bedford College being “one of very best” examples of a successful and well run FE establishment providing academic, professional and vocational training.
He took time out to visit the specialised modern construction centre and aerospace training unit in Cauldwell Street.
Bedford College Principal Ian Pryce is delighted to know that the leader of the nation knows all about Bedford College:
“We look forward to him making a repeat visit - he will be welcome anytime to see how the college has progressed even in the last 12 months and is now one of the top FE colleges in the country,” said Ian.
Background:
Chancellor gives Bedford College a “Licence to Skill”
- Gordon Brown includes Bedford on his whistle stop tour of top towns
Bedford College was delighted to receive Chancellor Gordon Brown as a visitor on January 26th 2006.
The Chancellor toured the college’s Construction and Aerospace facilities and was impressed with the new learning resource space and jet aeroplane funded by the regional development agency EEDA.
The Chancellor then had a private session with college students, staff and local employers, and discussed the role colleges can play in raising the skills levels of young people and those already in work.
Principal and Chief Executive Ian Pryce said the visit was a big success, and showed the Chancellor’s commitment to community-based colleges like Bedford College:
“The College has been delighted with the government investment in further education in recent years. We have been able to treble our student numbers, and produce many more trained young people to boost the local economy. The government has recognised us as a centre of excellence in an astonishing five areas: Plumbing, Care, House building, Management and Sustainable Technology, and we are receiving substantial capital investment to develop new Sports, Arts and Technology buildings. The Chancellor has given us a “Licence to Skill” and we intend to play our full part in developing the talents of everyone in our community”.
The Chancellor’s visit came at the end of an exceptional week for the college. On Thursday the college gained approval for the building of a £6m Arts Centre on the riverside site, on Saturday the college’s football academy beat the England Schoolboys U18 team at Lilleshall, Shropshire so the visit of the Chancellor provided a hat-trick of good news.
*BBC Television Look East used the Chancellor’s visit, part of his nationwide tour of top towns and cities, to “showcase” Bedford in a special edition. It showed footage of the town’s river and markets and reported on multi-million pound plans to renovate the bus station area and other parts of Bedford. Even the weather was broadcast from the international Bedford Athletics Track which it is hoped will welcome foreign teams come the 2012 Olympics.
A chat between presenter Stewart White and the Mayor of Bedford Frank Branston was broadcast live from the Harpur Suite in the town centre and Frank saved the by day doing another off the cuff interview about his role as an independent Mayor when technical problems meant the TV could not immediately switch to a pre-recorded interview with Gordon Brown.
Related Links
College News
Student News
Bedford College News
Provided by The Student Zone (United Kingdom) |
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