College merger set for August - The Redditch Standard

College merger set for August

Redditch Editorial 5th Jun, 2014 Updated: 18th Oct, 2016   0

THE MERGER of colleges in Redditch and Worcester will take place in August it has been announced.

North East Worcestershire College, which has a campus in Peakman Street, will formally amalgamate with Worcester College of Technology in a bid to improve training for businesses and increase opportunities for students.

Both organisations asked consultants KPMG to look at different options for how the colleges could work together and a merger into a new body was recommended and later approved in October last year.

The new organisation will be known as Worcestershire College, subject to approval by the Government, however bases in Redditch, Bromsgrove, Malvern and Worcester will all be retained and courses currently offered on existing sites will continue.




Stuart Laverick, principal of Worcester College of Technology, has been chosen to head up the new organisation. NEW College principal John Callaghan has left to take up a post at Solihull College.

Mr Laverick said: “I am looking forward to leading the new Worcestershire College. It is a privilege. Drawing on the significant governance, staffing, partnership, learning, physical and financial resources both Colleges provide will allow ‘Worcestershire College’ to make an outstanding impact on learning and economic activity across the county and wider region.”


The move is expected to allow both colleges to increase their income, better meet the needs of employers, work more with universities, improve their online provision and become more attractive to international students.

Although some jobs may be lost as a result of the merger, a spokesman said as both colleges had undergone significant transformation over the past few years no major changes were expected.

David Rood, chair of North East Worcestershire College, added: “Stuart has an excellent track record at Worcester College of Technology and throughout the merger discussions has demonstrated total commitment to building a vibrant, high quality college to meet the needs of Worcestershire in the 21st century.”

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