Cabinet 21 January 2015 Supplementary Information – Item 9

SUBJECT: East College

• SDC’s Cabinet agreed at the 17th April 2013 meeting to set up an earmarked reserve of £500k to assist with the development of Further Education and Higher Education in Shepway. This was also agreed by Council at the 20 th November 2013 meeting.

• In February 2014 was announced as the preferred bidder to take over both the and sites of K College. Since then they have embarked on an ambitious expansion programme of redevelopment to bring enhanced learning opportunities to the communities of Shepway.

• Phase 1 of the redevelopment of the Shorncliffe Road campus is currently underway at a total cost of £4.4million. Shepway Council’s £500,000 will contribute to this, with the remainder coming from the Skills Funding Agency’s College Capital Investment Fund (announced March 2014).

• The Phase 1 redevelopment will deliver : a new learning and disability centre ; a new performing arts academy to provide new course provision; new catering and hospitality provision, including a training restaurant and bistro open to members of the community; the Edge which is a new digital media and creative centre; an extension to the existing construction centre to offer a wider range of courses; and new beauty and therapies training facility.

• Further phases of redevelopment are planned over the next few years with funding to come from the College’s own funds and borrowing and from bids to future FE capital funding expected to come forward via the SE LEP.

• The College’s ambition is to more than double current student numbers from 350 at the Folkestone campus to 750 by 2016/17 and they are well underway to achieve this target.

• In Sept 2014 EKC introduced a number of new level 3 courses in the subject areas of: creative arts, construction & trades, early years, health & social care, beauty and therapies and catering & hospitality. From Sept 2015 higher level 4 courses will also be offered in these subject areas in conjunction with Canterbury Christ Church University. Initially these will be HNC/HNDs taught at the Folkestone Campus, with the final third year degree progression taught at CCCU’s own campus in Canterbury.

• SDC and East Kent College will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise our intent to work in close partnership to achieve common strategic objectives that will benefit the local community.

Dr Katharine Harvey Head of Economic Development 20 th January 2015