Young people will be able to study for degrees in Milton Keynes following the announcement of a new partnership.
Milton Keynes Council and the University of Bedfordshire are planning to open University College Milton Keynes in September to offer higher education courses in the town.
David Hill, chief executive of Milton Keynes Council, said: “Our long term ambition has been to provide face-to-face degree-level teaching to our growing communities, without the need for people to travel elsewhere. The announcement of University College Milton Keynes is a significant step toward this vision.
“The council acknowledges, with gratitude, the leadership role that Milton Keynes College has played in the development of University Centre Milton Keynes, and its significant investment of capital and human resources which have enabled us to reach this exciting opportunity.”
Milton Keynes College, has been supporting the quest for a local university. Principal Dr Julie Mills said: “The college is proud to have led over the last four years the city’s quest to establish a local university presence through our nurture of the University Centre.
“We welcome the expansion in scale and breadth that the University College brings to the city and we look forward to developing a strong partnership with the University College so that together we can provide the skills needs for our exciting city.”
The college will include a Faculty of Engineering and Technology and will be the home of important research initiatives, such as the Smart Cities Institute and the Centre for Telehealth.
The news is being celebrated by the area’s two MPs Mark Lancaster and Iain Stewart as well as business and education leaders.