Nick Clegg visits Sparsholt

5.28.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 19th May 2009

Nick Clegg visited Sparsholt College, Winchester on Monday with Mark Oaten MP and Martin Tod, Lib Dem candidate for Winchester, to see the work the college has been doing across a wide range of areas, including agriculture, animal management, forestry, construction, environment, equine studies, countryside management, horticulture, and public services.

Nick and Martin were joined by Sharon Bowles MEP and Prospective MEP Catherine Bearder

Nick visited the college to highlight the importance of further education in providing vital opportunities for both full time and part time students, and hope for young people during this recession.

Nick was told that there are more than 1,400 full-time students and 6,000 part-time enrollments in Sparsholt College with a 32% rise in applications in the past year, however, they have seen that funding cuts are affecting the college.

The tour of the college included the Aquatic studies centre where Nick was shown multiple fish species in various stages of development by the students learning to care for them. He was then taken to the forestry training site, followed by the animal management centre.

Martin Tod, Liberal Democrat Prospective MP for Winchester, commented:

"It was great to see Nick here and go round Sparsholt with him - and meet some of the young people studying there. Sparsholt educates an incredibly wide range of different people and can often connect with people who haven't enjoyed education elsewhere and help them really achieve. It was also very helpful to make him aware of the full impact of the funding crisis that's hit the FE sector and confirm his support to get it fixed."