Telford colleges merger put back by election
The merger of two college in Telford has been delayed by to the general election.
Although New College and Telford College of Arts of Technology are already working together as one joint "shadow" corporation, the official merger is still waiting for the go-ahead from the government.
The announcement was expected to come on August 1, but because of June's election that has now been put back.
TCAT principal Graham Guest said: "The colleges are already operating under one joint 'shadow' corporation, and we are using our combined knowledge and skills to build a one-stop service for students and employers.
"The merger is proceeding as planned, but the unexpected two-month parliamentary recess for the general election means that everything has been delayed."
The colleges are unsure about when the announcement will be made, but said that it won't be within the next week.
The deal was formalised last month when the corporation boards of TCAT and New College met separately to approve the terms of agreement.
The chairs of TCAT and New College became the chair and vice-chair respectively of the new Telford College corporation.
Bosses at New College said that the merger would allow them to specialise in A Levels and the academic route, while linking into the "vocational expertise and facilities" offered at TCAT.
Original proposals had been put forward that would see New College Telford and Shrewsbury College merge into Shrewsbury Sixth Form College, creating one large sixth form college group.
But in April last year, it was announced that the two Shrewsbury colleges would merge, leaving New College free to explore options with TCAT, both based in Wellington.
In August, the two Shrewsbury colleges announced their official merger under the new name of Shrewsbury College Group.
They said the move would help secure high quality education for students aged 16 and over.
