Two major colleges in west Cornwall are to merge. The hugely successful Truro College will be linked with Penwith College. The decision follows a rigorous review of the strategic options available to the College to ensure the people of Penwith are provided with a quality educational and training facility appropriate for the 21st century.

A feasibility study, which is a requirement of our funding body in order to ensure that the proposed merger will be successful, is being commissioned to determine the benefit of a merger to both organisations, the results of which will be available in early June.

This decision has the support of the Learning and Skills Council who have been working closely with the College over the last few months.

Penwith College is an important part of the community; offering education from those aged 14+ in a range of academic, vocational, work based and recreational courses locally.

By joining forces with Truro College, Penwith will gain the knowledge and experience of a College who has recently received an "outstanding" grade in their Ofsted inspection whilst still being able to continue its own strong presence in the local community.

Additionally there will be opportunities to broaden the curriculum areas offered on the Penwith College site, ensuring that more students' needs can be met locally, saving time and money on travel.

The Governors are aware that this decision may be unsettling for students and staff for a time but believe that Penwith College will grow stronger as a result of the merger, benefiting the whole community in the longer term. There is also a commitment from the LSC to provide improved facilities in Penzance, ensuring a bright future for the College meeting the learning needs of the community.

"We believe that this decision will secure a positive future for learning and the development of skills in the Penzance area. The LSC will continue to work closely with the College as it develops and improves its offer to learners through this new potential partnership with Truro College" - John Chudley, Area Director - Devon and Cornwall, Learning Skills Council.

"I believe that a merger is the right things for the Colleges. Both institutions have a lot to gain from this situation but the real winners are the members of the community of Penwith who will have local access to a much wider range of programmes, a new up to date educational facility and the knowledge that through this partnership, the Colleges future is secure long term." David Bishop, Chairman of Governing Body, Penwith College.