EAST Lancashire college teachers are to share in a £3 million personal computer bonanza.

The Learning and Skills Council, which now oversees post-16 education in England, is ploughing the money into a nationwide campaign to widen PC ownership.

Teachers will be able to apply for cash to help them buy their own computers.

Blackburn College will receive £8,500, Accrington and Rossendale £6,000, Burnley £5,500, Nelson and Colne £5,000 and St Mary's Sixth Form £3,500.

Steve Palmer, executive director of the Learning and Skills Council Lancashire, said: "Personal access to a computer has been shown to raise competence and confidence in teachers' use of Information Communication Technology.

"We believe that the new Computers for FE Teachers initiative will give the teachers greater access to information and teaching materials available on the internet, help them develop their ICT skills and ultimately benefit the teaching and learning process."

Under the scheme, teachers throughout Lancashire are set to benefit from £76,500 of computer subsidies.

Teachers will be able to apply for a subsidy of 50 per cent of the cost of a computer, up to a maximum of £500.

The scheme, which will run until December 21, is open to all full and part-time teachers in further education and sixth-form colleges.

John Healey, Minister for Adult Skills, said: "This is a great scheme that will give many FE teachers personal computer access for the first time. If we are serious about raising standards in FE we must give teachers the tools and support to do this."