THE SECRETARY of State for Communities and Local Government was given a tour of Wiltshire College's Chippenham campus after the government announced they would be injecting £28.1m into Swindon and Wiltshire.

Sajid Javid, who announced that the Government would be awarded the Local Growth Funding to the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership to improve skills and improve infrastructure across the county, visited a number of engineering workshops at the College today (Thurs) where he spoke to passionate staff and pupils.

The investment, which will go towards constructing an agricultural technology centre at Wiltshire College, Lackham, a life sciences, engineering and higher education facility at Wiltshire College, Salisbury and the redevelopment of the Maltings area in Salisbury, was secured by the Partnership following a challenging bidding procedure.

He said: "With this funding the county can now look forward to the creation of more opportunities, more jobs and more housing. It is a significant boost and a good example is Wiltshire College, which has already benefited from growth funding.

"There has been a big increase in jobs in the area since 2010 and although you can't take that for granted, I think this funding will have a huge impact on the area and more people right here in the South West will have everything they need."

During his visit to the mechanical engineering workshop, Mr Javid spoke to Chloe Gordon, a second year pupil studying Level Three Mechanical Manufacturing, about her apprenticeship at Cross Manufacturing and her alloy practical she was undertaking.

Speaking after the event Miss Gordon said: "He asked me all about my apprenticeship and I was actually the first female apprentice they have ever had and it is really, really amazing there. It was nice to have the opportunity to speak to him, especially someone with so much authority."

While details about the larger plans in Lackham and Salisbury have yet to be revealed, staff at both Wiltshire College and Wiltshire Council are excited about the prospect of a rejuvenated county.

Alistair Cunningham, associate director at Wiltshire Council, said: "A lot of work has gone in to this to make sure that we receive it and it will give it the Maltings the makeover that it deserves.

"This year we will be doing the plan and we should be delivering it around 2018/2019. People will not just go there to shop - it will be completely different and rival places such as Southampton or Portsmouth. It is quite exciting. It will be the heart of the city in the heart of the city."