Minister Of Skills Visits East Riding College

The Minster for Skills, Matthew Hancock MP, visited East Riding College in Beverley today to discuss key issues in further education.

Mr Hancock, along with Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart and officials from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, was given a tour of the Gallows Lane campus before meeting with senior managers from the College.

He saw students hard at work in the College’s Learning Resource Centre and in motor vehicle maintenance, construction, hairdressing and beauty therapy, and hospitality and catering.

Mr Hancock then discussed key issues in the further education sector with Principal Derek Branton and other senior managers.

Mr Branton said: “Today’s visit provided an excellent opportunity to raise with a government minister some of the issues facing further education colleges brought about by recent funding and policy changes.

“We were also able to discuss with Mr Hancock our planned move from the Gallows Lane campus to the Flemingate development in central Beverley.

“I was delighted to be able to show him so many of our students hard at work and to give him a tour of the high quality learning environments we have at East Riding College.”

East Riding College enrols approximately 1,600 full-time further education students each year, with thousands more taking part-time FE and higher education courses, as well as apprenticeships. The College also has a thriving business development section which provides workforce development services to employers throughout the region and nationally.