£5.7m for education in Highlands and Islands

30th December 2011

The Highland economy will benefit from a substantial funding boost for further education in the region, Youth Employment Minister Angela Constance announced today.

More than £5.7 million of European Structural Funds will go towards the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) specifically to aid economic recovery in the area. The breakdown of funding is as follows:

£5.6 million for the Investing in Recovery project, sponsored by UHI, to accommodate the higher than anticipated demand for places up to 2013
£100,000 for Inverness College to meet local demand from young people for college places
£38,748 for Lews Castle College to improve skill levels locally.
Minister for Youth Employment Angela Constance said:

"Since the establishment of the University of the Highlands and Islands, higher education has become a significant economic driver in the region.

"I am therefore very pleased that we have been able to augment UHI's Investing in Recovery project by providing considerably more that the projected £4.4 million which is a significant financial boost to the region and reflects demand for higher education places in the north.

"Additional funding for Stornoway and Inverness will also help ensure that young people in the area get the chance to build up skills which will prove to be valuable in competing in the workforce during the difficult economic period we're in.

"This announcement follows the green light for a new Inverness College campus and this additional investment marks an exciting period for post-16 education in the north of Scotland."

Welcoming the funding, University of the Highlands and Islands Principal and Vice-Chancellor, James Fraser said:"This is excellent news for the University, particularly as we approach our first birthday. Investment in Scotland's new University will help us have a transformational impact on the development and prospects of the Highlands and Islands, its people and its communities."