Bournville College (10 April 2009)

Last week there was a debate in the House of Commons on the economy. In the debate I spoke about the impact the economic downturn is having on our economy here in the West Midlands (you can read my speech online here). I highlighted that urgent action is needed now to support our regional economy in the short-term, so that we can seize the opportunities of the long-term.

These are tough times right across the world including here in Birmingham. And during these tough times it is vital that we invest in training – both in providing training and the facilities in which to train people.

One such investment is Bournville College. You may be aware that the College is planning to move in to a new state-of-the-art building on the former MG Rover site at Longbridge. This is an important project – it always has been, but given the current economic situation, it is now even more so. The new college will provide new jobs in construction in the short term and new opportunities for quality skills training for our generations of young people to come.

The relocation of the College is also absolutely central to the regeneration of the Longbridge site. It will be a visible catalyst to helping South West Birmingham not only to win through the current recession, but also to continue its recovery from the huge blow our local community received when MG Rover collapsed in 2005.

People in and around South West Birmingham deserve a fair deal and keeping faith in the Longbridge project is at the heart of that. I am doing all I can to make sure that everyone involved – Ministers, the Learning and Skills Council, our local community – knows just how important the Bournville College project is.