Leaky roofs, broken windows and dilapidated buildings at further education colleges across England will be repaired thanks to a £302m government cash injection.

The funding, which was announced by the chancellor in the Budget in October, is the first condition allocation for FE colleges in two years.

Skills minister, Jacqui Smith, said the college estate the government inherited was “not fit for purpose”.

She added: “Today’s funding addresses these issues, allowing colleges to focus on what they do best: breaking down barriers to opportunity and inspiring the workforce of the future.”

Colleges in Greater Manchester and Leeds will also benefit from a £20m boost to capacity funding for 16-19-year-olds to address a shortage of places.

The funding will create much needed places across the two areas, ensuring more learners will be able to access crucial skills training

Among those to benefit will be Calderdale College in West Yorkshire, which will use the capital funding to expand its much-needed capacity in construction and professional trades workshops.

The funding will also support the creation of an additional classroom within Mill Studios, the college’s digital and creative centre.

Andrew Harrison, vice principal for corporate services at Calderdale College, said: “We welcome this investment from the government’s Autumn budget, which will enable us to further enhance the experience for our students.

“This follows the success of our recent £7.5m transformation project, completed in August 2024, which focused on refurbishing our ageing estate.

“As well as modernising our facilities, the project significantly improved our energy efficiency, cutting costs by 40% and making a major step forward in our carbon reduction edits.”