CONTROVERSIAL plans for a “shake-up” of colleges in the county have been criticised. The “shake-up” by WCG will see the consolidation of Evesham College and the expansion of Pershore College.

A new-look Evesham College will be created with a revised full-time curriculum which will focus on the technical subjects of engineering, construction, hair, beauty and barbering, motor vehicle and digital arts, including E-sports. As a result of the move, Malvern Hills College will close down in 2021 with a number of its pupils moving across to the new Evesham College.

The move has been widely criticised, with West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin calling for an explanation. She said: “I am shocked with the Warwickshire College Group for taking this decision at a time when training young people could not be more important, and I am saddened for those people taking courses like hair dressing or beauty therapy who are faced with a long diversion to Evesham to continue their studies. They also have done it without even a consultation or the courtesy of sharing their thinking with me. In fact, when the group took over the Malvern site they promised they would invest. Last week’s Spending Review delivered a £375 million investment in skills.This feels like a very short-term decision, bearing in mind our national need to help young people to get the skills they need to compete in a difficult job market.

The college group has rightly looked to expand its digital skills teaching capability and we should be doing more teaching locally, not less. I’ve asked for an urgent conversation with principal Angela Joyce to understand her thinking and to reassure me that this is not just an asset-stripping exercise." Explaining the decision to shake up the colleges, Angela Joyce from WCG said: “We have worked hard to maintain the three Colleges in Worcestershire, all of which had quality or financial issues when they merged into the Group, and no major change is entered into without assessing all the consequences. We are positioning ourselves for the future so that we are best-placed to build on our core strengths and our continuing role in supporting the region and the national priorities set by government, in particular to support a post-Brexit and post-COVID UK.

Whilst the decision to take these steps being has not been easily reached, it is necessary to ensure we can continue to deliver first-class further and higher education and training in the region. Over the coming months, we will be engaging with the communities and stakeholders within the areas affected, and will be supporting our staff and students through the period of transition.”