Pershore College has been provided with £488,000 of Local Skills Improvement Funds to upgrade equipment to help close the agri-tech skills gap in the region.

The Local Skills Improvement Funds programme is designed to support growth and innovation across the UK through funding new facilities and courses in higher and further education colleges, with a focus on growing the regional economy and upskilling the workforce.

Awarded by the Department for Education the funds will be used to update the glasshouses, renovating the heating systems, and adding various technologies for increased control of heat, water, ventilation and lighting.

Following the rising number of students on the college’s horticulture courses and apprenticeships, these changes will enable more students to work in the greenhouses and gain valuable hands-on experience.

In favour of a more environmentally-friendly biomass boiler system, the college will also use part of the funding to phase out its current gas boiler.

Peter Husband, Interim CEO and Principal of WCG, says, “We are thrilled to be awarded £488,000 by the Department for Education. Agri-tech is one of the five priority sectors highlighted in the Worcestershire Local Skills Improvement Plan, which identifies key skills gaps across the region, so we are delighted to be using the funds to upgrade our glasshouse system at Pershore College.”