Warwickshire College Group and South Worcestershire College have agreed to merge following Board decisions in June. Feedback from the merger’s consultation document Stronger Together back in April was almost all positive and since then teams from both Warwickshire and South Worcestershire have been working together to address the practicalities involved in bringing the two colleges together for the official merger date, 1 August.

Both colleges are excited about the new opportunities this merger will offer for current and prospective students, employers and communities. By merging, the colleges are able to pool their expertise and share best practice in order to provide a stronger support network. This includes expanding how the colleges use technology and resources to help students, supporting those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and increasing the breadth of their relationships with local schools, employers and communities.

As part of the Warwickshire College Group structure, South Worcestershire College will return to its individual localised identities and so will become Evesham College and Malvern Hills College. As well as continuing to offer the usual high level of student support, the merger will enable the colleges to offer a broader curriculum, an increased range of specialised facilities, more progression and employment opportunities and an enhanced overall student experience.

Angela Joyce, Group Principal and CEO of Warwickshire College Group, said: “The merger has now reached a key point with the WCG Board having met to make a final decision on the merger, closely followed by the SWC Board doing the same. Through this merger we can expand provision in the south of Worcestershire for young people and employers and we aim to continue to provide a consistent, high quality experience for students across all of our college sites. “This is a very exciting time and I am delighted to welcome Evesham College and Malvern Hills College.”

David Ansell, Interim Principal of South Worcestershire College, said: “Some very important developments regarding the merger have happened recently and I’m pleased to say that the right decision has been made. WCG have been great to work with and we are confident the future of South Worcestershire College, as Evesham College and Malvern Hills College, is now secured through this merger. We now have the best opportunity to expand college provision, resources and connections for our students and the local community. “I look forward to seeing our journey towards this merger completed on schedule.”

Warwickshire College Group is one of the largest general further and higher education college groups in the UK, providing high quality education and training for individuals and organisations at a local, regional, national and international level. The group has six colleges – Royal Leamington Spa, Rugby, Moreton Morrell, Henley-in-Arden, Pershore and Warwick Trident, with over 14,000 students and more than 1000 courses and works in partnership with a large number of local and national employers across industry and is the largest provider of apprenticeship training in the region, with over 2,000 apprentices trained every year.

For more information visit the Warwickshire College Group website www.warwickshire.ac.uk