A DRAMATIC improvement in across-the-board course passes was reported by Burnley College principal John Smith at the annual awards ceremony.

Mr Smith told guests at the Mechanics, Burnley, that the pass rate on all courses, full-time and part-time, was an outstanding 94 per cent compared with 77 per cent the previous year.

The college offered a wide range of provision with over 500 courses from introductory to first degree level. It was now a high achieving college, he said, with students gaining more than10,000 nationally recognised qualifications.

The close relationship as an associate college with the University of Central Lancashire resulted in more than 500 studying for the university's higher education qualifications in Burnley.

As a community college for Burnley and surrounding areas they were committed to opening doors to learning and in particular to helping people taking their first steps.

They had also established the Burnley Football Club learning centre with more than 2,500 people using the state of the art information technology-based facilities.

They made a major contribution to meeting the skill needs of individuals and of the local community.

Mr Smith said Burnley College was certainly playing its part in ensuring young people succeeded but if there was to be an expansion of the numbers in post-16 learning in Burnley the government would have to extend to Burnley the schemes of financial support for young people and their families which it had provided in other towns.

He added: "We are in very good shape and have a positive optimistic attitude to the future. This is essential because I firmly believe Burnley needs a committed high-performing college."

The awards were presented by Lord Clarke, independent chairman of the task force set up to investigate the causes of the summer disturbances in the town.