COLLEGES IN Dundee and Fife are to receive more than £1.1 million to enable them to take on extra students, writes Grant Smith, education reporter.

The funding is part of a £7.7 million package for 23 colleges in local authority areas that have seen a big rise in youth unemployment over the past year.

Kirkcaldy-based Adam Smith College receives £567,000, Dundee College £364,000 and Carnegie College in Dunfermline £187,000.

In the year to May, the number of 17 to 24-year-olds in Fife claiming unemployment benefit rose by 1155, Dundee was up by 510, taking the jobless rate for the age group in both locations to 7.8%.

The Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC) plans to spend £12 million in 2009/10 to support capital spending by colleges and another £8.4 million in 2010/11 for extra student places.

In all, colleges in 14 local authority areas will benefit from the funds, which over two years could fund 3100 full-time places.

SFC chief executive Mark Batho said, “Many young people may have previously preferred to go straight into work from school, but at a time when career opportunities are not as plentiful, education is a good alternative to unemployment.

“The extra college places we are funding will give them the opportunity to learn new skills and gain knowledge that will help them get into work more quickly. They will also contribute to growing Scotland’s skills levels for the future.”

The funding—using cash automatically coming to Scotland as a result of spending decisions in the UK Budget—will total £28.1 million over two years and is on top of the £572 million the SFC has allocated to colleges for the 2009-10 academic year.

When she announced the extra funding last month, Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop said, “Scotland’s colleges have a key role in helping people and businesses deal with the impact of the economic downturn and ensuring individuals have the skills and training they need to contribute to this country’s future economic success when the recovery comes.”

Carnegie College Principal Professor Bill McIntosh said, “Carnegie College is experiencing a record demand for full-time places from both school leavers and the unemployed. This additional funding of £186,000 will provide some scope to offer more places and associated student funding to well-qualified applicants.

“In the short term this will help to reduce, for some, the impact of the recession.

“However, in the longer term it will enable us to counteract the more serious underlying issues in the economy relating to demography and key skills shortages.

“Sadly, while this is a welcome additional fund from SFC, it will only stretch a relatively short way to meeting the current increase in demand for full-time places.

“Hopefully, even more funding will become available in the future. The college is engaged in a scholarship fund-raising initiative with private sector employers and other friends of the college.”

Adam Smith College, the biggest in Fife, is one of the biggest recipients of the extra funding. With campuses in Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes and Leven, the college has been awarded £567,056 over the next two years which it says will be targeted at helping younger students or those who returned to learning after being made unemployed.

Welcoming the announcement, a college spokesperson said, “The college is delighted to receive the extra award of £567,056 to provide opportunities for more students to study at Adam Smith College.

“This money is specifically targeted to support younger students aged 16 to 24 on non-advanced courses, studying with us either from school, or having become recently unemployed.

“In these times of economic challenge, the funding ensures the college can meet the needs of our communities and help provide for the future upturn in the economy,” the spokesperson added.