Breaking news: Post-16 and Construction Skills Capacity Fund

Yesterday (28 July 2026) the Government confirmed the colleges in non-devolved areas who will receive funding as part of the Post-16 and Construction Skills Capacity Fund. This is a much needed £287 million fund for colleges short of places after thousands of would-be students missed out on their preferred courses due to limited college places. The Association of Colleges (AoC) estimated in April that colleges would teach 22,106 more 16 to 18-year-olds next year than they are funded for.

Happily, 67 colleges and other post-16 institutions have been selected for capital projects, and the government says it will create more than 22,000 additional learner places. 

We do not yet know how much each project will receive, what will be built, or how many places individual colleges are expected to create but this is excellent news that investment in young people's education, skills, and careers is on the agenda.