Bolton College and the University of Bolton are set to become the first FE/HE institutions to merge in six years.

Since 1994 there have been 13 FE/HE mergers. However, four of them - involving colleges in Harrogate, Lincoln, Penrith and Reading - have since been annulled and reverted back to FE college status.

But University of Bolton vice-chancellor George Holmes highlighted how while previous mergers have involved the college losing its branding and effectively becoming a faculty of the university, Bolton College will retain its name, its board and its principal.

At midnight on 1 August, the college will formally dissolve and become a subsidiary of the university.

‘Business as usual’

Mr Holmes added: “If on the first of August if anything appears to change, something has gone wrong. It feels like business as usual. It is an evolution rather than a revolution.”

The college and university will still have distinct agendas, he said, but a similar mission, with a focus on teaching and access.

“By sharing, hopefully, we can give students better services,” Mr Holmes added.

A shared history

The recommendation that Bolton College, the University of Bolton and nearby Bury College should merge was one of the outcomes of the Greater Manchester area review in 2016. Bury College dropped out in April last year citing “issues and complexities”, although Mr Holmes said he imagines the merger will come back to the table “in the future”.

The area review report recognised that the merged institution would be able to “map and provide comprehensive pathways of study from entry level through to PhD”. 

The college and university have shared the same site for around eight years and also have a shared history. In 1963, the Bolton Institute of Technology (which would later become the university) split from Bolton Technical College, which went through a number of rebrands before becoming Bolton College in 2010.

The University of Bolton gained its status in 2004 after missing out in 1992 when a large tranche of former polytechnics did.

This shared history helped with the merger process, Mr Holmes explained. “One member of staff, who has recently retired, remembers when the technical college split up. He told me ‘they really should be together’,” he said.

Preparing students in FE for HE

Mr Holmes added that it was a great deal for the college, but there were also many benefits for the university.

“It’s a direct connection with the student supply chain and we can also prepare students in FE for HE,” he added.

“Colleges are also really connected with employers, which is helpful for degree apprenticeships. If they weren’t joining with us, they might be joining with someone else, which would create a competitor for students.”

Mr Holmes said he believes there will be more mergers between colleges and universities “because cost is an unavoidable consideration”. He noted that the government’s post-18 education review is considering making it easier for students to study at their local higher education institute and stay at home to save money.

“However, you look at [funding] and the government is picking up the tab and will look at the most cost-effective means. Local provision where students stay at home is a cost-effective way.”

He also believes the rise of degree apprenticeships lends itself to colleges and universities working hand in hand.