Significant agricultural centre’ officially opened as OxLEP says it can play a ‘key role’ in Oxfordshire’s growing economy

Young people from across Oxfordshire – keen to establish a career in agriculture – are set to benefit from a major new skills centre near Witney which in-turncould play a key role in growing the county’s economy.

The Livestock Technology Centre – which was today (17 May) officially opened at Abingdon and Witney College’s Common Leys campus on the outskirts of Witney – will provide a ‘highly-technical’ environment supporting courses and research relating to livestock husbandry.

The centre has been built to combine theory teaching spaces and a livestock areacapable of supporting the latest agricultural technology.

The Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) secured c£1m of funding towards the project via the government’s Local Growth Fund – thisfrom an overall Local Growth Fund 3 allocation of £24.16m for Oxfordshireannounced in early-2017.

Local Growth Fund investment aims to allow LEPs to use their local knowledge to promote growth in their individual regions.

Analysis has shown that for every £1 of Local Growth Fund invested£4.81 in benefits could be generated.

Since it was launched in 2011OxLEP – with its partners – has secured over £600m-worth of government and European funding for Oxfordshirewith around 50000 new jobs created in the county between 2012 and 2017.

In totalOxLEP currently oversees a £2.2bn growth programme for the county.

Nigel Tipple – OxLEP Chief Executive – said: “Such a significant project will first and foremost have a positive impact on the agri-tech sectoras well as supporting young people and their skills development.

“It also provides a real opportunity for Oxfordshire to continue to drive dynamic economic growth through this sector – both locally and nationally.

“We are delighted to have secured such a significant Local Growth Fund allocation for this project and we are sure it can be real asset to Abingdon and Witney College’s future growth plans.”