College Merger Finalised

December 13, 2017

After what has been another successful year for both St Helens College and Knowsley Community College, our highlights demonstrate the significant achievements and excellent results for the last academic year.

Building on these successes, it now gives me great pleasure to inform you that the planned merger of St Helens College with Knowsley Community College is now complete. On the 12th December 2017 the two Colleges officially merged to form St Helens College, trading as SK College Group. Both Colleges will currently retain their existing brand identities. However, a new College Group name for the legal entity will be decided following full consultation.

This truly is an exciting time for us, and we are fully committed to deliver our new mission statement: “transforming lives through excellence in education and training”. The newly merged College Group now has an annual turnover of £32million, more than 600 staff and 10,000 students including Higher Education students and apprentices of all ages. We will now build on the strengths and specialisms that both Colleges bring to the merged group, creating a strong and dynamic institution that is forward thinking, with a firm focus on the needs of our students and the communities that we serve.

The merger will bring many benefits, and has already generated considerable inward investment to our communities. However, most importantly, the merger will ensure that we can continue to deliver a broad and diverse, high quality, relevant curriculum and qualifications that lead to higher level study, university or apprenticeships and employment.

I am grateful to so many stakeholders and colleagues who provided a significant amount of encouragement and support. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all, and extend particular thanks to the Education and Skills Funding Agency, Members of Parliament, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, the Local Enterprise Partnership, trade unions and Members of the College Corporations, without such support the merger may not have been possible.
I look forward to continuing to work with you for the benefit of our students and wider communities.

Jette Burford
Chief Executive Officer
St Helens College – Trading as SK College Group