Milton Keynes College Group has formed an alliance with six Further Education institutions from the wider region to provide the training and education needed to meet the demands of huge economic possibilities opening up in the months and years to come. 

The Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor has long been identified by government as crucial to economic development for Britain.  Now thousands of new homes are being built across this part of the country, soon to be more fully connected by East West Rail and with major investment also on the way, most notably with the creation of the new Universal Studios theme park. 

Successful growth will depend on the availability of a skilled workforce, and that’s why the new group, the Further Education Skills Alliance (FESA), has been brought to life.  The group comprises: 

• Abingdon and Witney College 

• Activate Learning Group (Oxfordshire, Berkshire & Surrey) 

• Bedford College Group 

• Buckinghamshire College Group 

• Cambridge Regional College 

• Inspire Education Group (Cambridgeshire & Lincolnshire) 

• Milton Keynes College Group 

FESA will work together to match the training offered to the needs of employers across the region, and is already coordinating its efforts with businesses along with Skills England, local and national government and the Higher Education sector (in particular, the Arc Universities Group). 

Collaboration will also include the government’s Technical Excellence Colleges programme (TEC), where a lead institution works with others to provide the skills needed in a particular sector.  In FESA, Bedford College Group was named as a TEC lead for Construction while Milton Keynes College Group has been chosen as the regional lead Digital & Technologies TEC (DigiTEC) to offer expertise in AI, robotics, cyber security and data science, etc. 

Milton Keynes College Group CEO and Principal, Sally Alexander MBE, says, “At Milton Keynes College Group we bid for, were awarded and delivered the South Central Institute of Technology.  The experience and expertise gained from that will stand us in great stead as we move forward as a Technical Excellence College.  One in three jobs in the city are now linked to digital; it’s a sector which grows and changes at incredible pace, and our DigiTEC designation will be vital in helping us to keep meeting the needs of employers.” 

Sally is also Deputy Chair of FESA, and she says, “The founding of FESA is a starting point for wider collaboration across all sectors of society within the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor.  Only by working together across education, business, government – and in fact with every community and interest group – can we achieve the full benefits of the future emerging in front of us.” 

FESA’s initial stated aims are to: 

• align training provision with real employer demand 

• strengthen progression into higher technical and higher education 

• support skills development and lifelong learning 

• enable more coordinated delivery across the region 

FESA faces significant challenges.  75% of employers report difficulty recruiting appropriate team members, and both construction and digital businesses are among those struggling the most.  A recent government report into the problem found that, “Demand for key occupations will grow by nearly 25% in the next decade.”  At the same time, the recent report from Alan Milburn around Young People and Work found that almost a million people aged from 16 to 24 are not in employment, education or training. 

However, the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor could deliver £78bn in economic value and support more than 400,000 high-skilled jobs in the coming years.  Incentive enough for FESA and the wider community to work together to make the difference the country needs.