South Essex College and PROCAT to merge

South Essex College of Further and Higher Education (SEC) and Prospects College of Advanced Technology (PROCAT) have announced their plans to merge.

Following the completion of the Essex colleges area based review, recommendations for PROCAT to join SEC has been positively endorsed by both governing bodies. The PROCAT brand will be retained following the merger.

SEC Principal and Chief Executive, Angela O’Donoghue said: “Our decision to merge with PROCAT has been underpinned by our shared commitment in providing technical training opportunities up to degree level to meet the skills needs in the Thames Estuary and beyond.

“The merger with PROCAT, alongside our upcoming Basildon town centre Campus, present truly exciting times for all. We look forward to working with PROCAT and our other partners to deliver our ambitious vision for the future.”

The colleges will come together to become a leading specialist technical, engineering and construction training provider for local students.

PROCAT Chairman, David Sherlock said: “This exciting merger is the next step in our progress since changing from a private training provider to a further education college provider in 2014. Our vision has been to create a technical university for Basildon. To do that we need larger scale as well as excellence. We are confident that this merger will provide that, establishing a powerhouse of technical creativity.”

The two colleges will now undertake preparatory work before both governing bodies consider the final merger proposal. It is envisaged that the formal merger will take place in February 2019.

A consultation document has been published which includes full details of the merger plans. This can be viewed on both college websites at www.southessex.ac.uk/procat or www.procat.ac.uk/southessexcollege

Please send any questions you may have about the merger to press@southessex.ac.uk The closing date for enquiries is 28 October 2018.