A DATE has been set for the merging of three colleges in Southampton, Eastleigh, and Fareham.

City College Southampton will be joining with Eastleigh College and Fareham College this year.

The three colleges are set to merge on August 1 after 'positive feedback from students, staff, and parents', according to the results of a public consultation based on 87 responses and published today.

It comes after the Southampton college faced Government intervention when it required nearly £8m in emergency Education and Skills Funding Agency cash.

Current principal Martin Sim was brought in to improve the institution, currently rated as 'requires improvement' by Ofsted.

The merger will see the corporations of City College and Eastleigh dissolve, with their assets and liabilities moving to Fareham College, led by its principal Andrew Kaye.

Mr Kaye will now become chief executive of the new South Hampshire College Group.

In the public consultation outcome report, the colleges have announced that they are "committed" to merging on the proposed date of August 1, 2023.

"Collaboration between the Solent’s further education colleges would be required to achieve a sustainable infrastructure to meet the evolving and growing skills demands within the Solent economy," the report said.

It is hoped that the merger will "enhance and strengthen the range of provisions and delivery of quality courses throughout the region".

The three colleges received just 87 responses to the public consultation that ran from March to May this year.

The consultation revealed that 62 per cent of people were in favour of the merger.

A total of 22 per cent were "unsure" and 14 per cent were against. Just two per cent of respondents were "neutral".

Students would continue to study at their current campuses and the names and brands of the three colleges would not be changed.

Principal Sim said: "We are excited by the huge benefits that this three-college merger will bring to students, businesses, our local communities and staff. 

"By uniting our resources, our expertise and our existing centres of excellence, we can enhance the range of provision and the quality of courses throughout Southampton and the surrounding areas.

"We can also create seamless pathways into higher levels of study and work, increasing the supply of skills, meeting employers’ needs more effectively and supporting our region’s economy to grow and succeed."