Chris Kane: “Further Education must be prioritised”

In Chris’s Monthly Column for the Stirling Observer, he called for the college sector to be funded properly in the midst of Forth Valley College anouncing its plans to close its Alloa Campus. 

Read the full column below: 

Thank you to the emergency responders out in the full force of Storm Amy, and to everybody involved in the subsequent and ongoing clean-up and repair mission. Your commitment is remarkable, and we all appreciate everything you have done and continue to do. I am aware that the storm has highlighted some issues with resilience, especially in rural areas. Thank you to everyone who has got in touch with those issues. I will be following up with them. 

Across Scotland, colleges are a gateway to opportunity. They provide practical skills, apprenticeships and qualifications, taught in the communities they serve. Colleges change lives, support employers and strengthen our economy. In my constituency, Forth Valley College and Perth College UHI are invaluable. But like others across Scotland, they are under unbearable financial pressure. Forth Valley College is now beginning to break.

It has been warned that without a reversal of huge and unjustified cuts from the SNP Government, it will not survive. The future of the Alloa campus hangs in the balance, with a decision on closure or mothballing imminent. The stark reality is that without intervention Stirling could be next, then Falkirk, with a catastrophic full closure a possibility should decisive action on funding not be taken.

The Scottish Funding Council reports that 22 out of 24 colleges will spend more than they earn this year. Audit Scotland has highlighted serious risks at UHI Perth, predicting a £9.6 million shortfall within three years.

Staff and students are deeply concerned about the crisis at Forth Valley College. Whether apprenticeships in construction, training in early years and care, or courses for new industries, our colleges ensure people gain the skills they need close to home. If that system falters, it is not just individual learners who lose out, but employers, communities and Scotland’s economy as a whole.

Yet what have we heard from the Scottish Government? Nothing.

Forth Valley College supports the industrial transition at Grangemouth, preparing workers for clean energy and advanced manufacturing. It provides defence and engineering skills vital to Rosyth’s future. Through the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal, it has helped build the workforce for emerging sectors, including creative industries at the new Stirling Film Studio.

If Scotland is serious about net zero, filling health and care vacancies, developing new sectors like film or giving young people hope, we cannot allow the college sector to wither.

The problem is not mismanagement. Colleges have already cut deeply, reducing staff and driving efficiencies. In Forth Valley, almost nine in every ten pounds of the budget goes to essential staff and facilities. There is nothing left to trim; closing campuses is now the only option.

The truth is that the current funding model is broken. Broken by the Scottish Government, who could themselves benefit from the upskilling our colleges provide.

It is not too late. The Government must act. Colleges should be treated as economic infrastructure, every bit as important as roads, rail or energy. They deserve a fair, multi-year funding settlement that reflects real costs and allows leaders to plan with confidence. This is not a challenge we can afford to ignore. If we invest now, we secure opportunities for young people, resilience for employers and a workforce ready for a modern economy. Delay will deepen the skills gap and cost us all dearly.

As your MP, I will keep pressing this case and ensure our colleges are part of UK Government discussions on industrial strategy and the just transition.

As always, I want to hear from you. Whether you are a student, member of staff, employer or constituent, please share your experiences with me at www.chriskane.net/contact