Exclusive: College aiming to hit rich new vein with mining degrees

Barnsley College also hopes that attracting overseas students from countries where the industry is still thriving will also bring miners back to the South Yorkshire town.The advanced training courses could form part of a wider international strategy to recruit students from abroad. They could begin next year as an extension to existing engineering courses.

College chiefs have already started investigating potential markets for Yorkshire-trained mining engineers and considering whether expertise from South Yorkshire’s coal mining past could become a feature of its courses.

Principal Colin Booth said: “Mining remains a very important business in other parts of the world and there is a high demand for high level skills.

“China is one big example, because of their booming economy they cannot get minerals out of the ground quickly enough.”

Mr Booth said the region was perfectly placed to deliver mining courses. He added: “It would be an ideal way for us to build on the town’s heritage. We have the National Coal Mining Museum nearby and the 18th century Newcomen steam engine at Elsecar which was used to pump water out of the mines.”

“Just by being based here we would be able to add this richness to the curriculum we could offer.”

The college’s international aspirations could include starting the mining course next year.

The college also intends introducing more degree-level subjects for UK students as the Government wants more courses run by providers charging less than £7,500-a-year under the new fees system.