South Antrim Alliance MLA David Ford has said he regrets that that Antrim college campus is to close but said that the key issue is to maintain frontline services, courses and the staff who deliver them to people in the area. He said he has talked with a senior officer at Northern Regional College who mentioned the provision of additional computers for Parkhall College to help in the delivery of courses there.
David Ford said: “I regret that the building is to close but clearly the key issue is to protect frontline services, courses and the staff who deliver them to people in the area.
“I spoke to a senior officer at the Northern Regional College who told me that there was a good level of enrolment at Parkhall College and I understand that NRC is providing additional computers to the college to help in the delivery of courses there. I have also requested a meeting for a few weeks time to discuss how arrangements are going with Parkhall College.
“Some of my own knowledge of computers comes from a course I did at the Antrim college campus so I know how important it is that there is strong provision of courses in Antrim town. It may also be appropriate for the college to keep some kind of presence in Antrim, for example in Antrim Library to provide information on courses.”
Alliance Councillor Neil Kelly said: “Antrim college campus has solid record of community education work but relatively few full-time classes were delivered there.
“The number of post-primary schools in Antrim has decreased and this might point to why a change of this nature has been announced.”
ENDS