As of midnight on 31st March 2010, West Kent College and South Kent College have merged organisations. Bill Fearon, the Principal of the new College, has welcomed staff and students, saying it is business as usual. 'Everyone needs to focus on achieving the best student results for the rest of this academic year, and look ahead to enrolment for the 2010/11 College year,' he said.
Already plans are in place to develop a new brand and choose a new name for the merged Colleges, to be announced at the start of the September term. The new College will have campuses stretching right across Kent, from Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells to Ashford, Folkestone and Dover.
Mr Fearon said: 'There will be mixed feelings from all concerned with the ending of the two neighbouring Colleges that were West Kent College and South Kent College, but we have already secured six governors from SKC to join WKC colleagues on the new College Board.
'I have been heartened in recent weeks by the positive attitude of staff from both Colleges, and the desire to meet new colleagues and begin the harmonisation process as soon as possible is particularly evident. I can’t wait to see the early benefits of the merger, and subsequently the much needed stability that a large college can bring to students and staff alike.
'We will be strong from the outset in engaging with employers, including apprenticeships and tailored training programmes, and we will prioritise development of good, effective working relations with schools, academies, universities, local authorities and a wide range of community and stakeholder groups across the wide geographical area of the new College.'
Mr Fearon also added: 'I would like to thank Monica Box for her commitment and achievements as Interim Principal of South Kent College. Not least amongst her achievements has been the development of a good foundation for improvements in the experiences, engagement and success rates of learners across the South Kent centres, and an enhanced reputation for Further Education in the local communities. Like all colleges, we have tough challenges ahead due to the cuts in funding in ‘10/11 and beyond, but because of our new-found strength we have many opportunities to work with partners across a range of existing and new educational markets.'
