Super-college merger move

Dramatic new proposals could see three Staffordshire colleges merge to create one super-college.

The plan would see Cannock Chase Technical College, Tamworth and Lichfield College and Rodbaston College in Penkridge, merge to form one large institution – Southern Staffordshire College.

All five of the colleges' sites would be retained, as the combined institution served at least 6,000 students based on current numbers.

The West Midlands Learning and Skills Council has just given the green light for the proposed merger to progress to the next formal stage of public consultation.

Governors and senior managers say it would see the colleges collectively stronger and better placed to thrive in an "increasingly competitive environment".

Trudie McGuiness, Cannock Chase Technical College director of support services, said: "The way funding is set up it can seem that smaller colleges are penalised more quickly if you don't meet certain performance levels.

"With Further Education funding, bigger is better. This will be a more robust, stronger organisation."

She said that, should plans go ahead, efforts would be made to ensure disruption was minimised.

"The plan at present is to keep everything on the curriculum at the base where it is currently delivered," she added.

Eventually course may move to the most appropriate venue – for example construction at Rodbaston which has more space than Cannock Chase sites.

If it goes ahead, Southern Staffordshire College is likely to be formed as an "on-paper" organisation in August, but education provision will continue as normal at the three colleges for the 2008/9 academic year.

Bosses said plans did not spell staff cutbacks. Consultation begins in March.