Principal Peter McCann is stepping down from his role at Kirklees College.

And he talked of his immense pride at the strides the college has made in recent years.

He leaves in August, having joined the college in May 2011.

During that time the college has moved to a gleaming new campus in Huddersfield, opened the Engineering Centre and is shortly to open Process Manufacturing Centre.

There are also plans and funds in place for two new centres in Dewsbury for 2017/18.

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There has also been a remarkable growth in apprenticeships, increased partnership working with local business and organisations, and improved Ofsted rating and pass rates.

The college has won a host of awards, most recently in 2016 the college was awarded the national silver award from Apprenticeships 4 England for the quality of the apprenticeship provision.

Mr McCann said: “When I joined the college back in 2011 the college was faced with a £7.6m operating deficit, so my first year/18 months was very difficult to get the college on an even keel financially whilst still improving teaching and learning and student success.

“We’ve had lots of further challenges since the original deficit with year on year cuts in adult funding up until 2015, which have made the financial journey even more difficult.

“It was also essential that we listened to employer needs and invested in the future for Kirklees and the employers who provide employment for our community. The engineering and process manufacturing centres will provide essential skills for economy and I am proud we have been able to achieve that despite our financial difficulties.”

Kirklees College retiring Principal, Peter McCann, gets a warm send of from the College staff.

Mr McCann added: “People in national office tell me the reputation of the college has never been higher and that is obviously nice to hear. Part of what makes the college so special is that we serve such a diverse community and are committed to opportunity for all and add value to lives through the power of education and skills.

“If I had a message for the town of Huddersfield and the broader Kirklees community however it is that we need to be rightly proud of our heritage but more aspirational and creative looking forward.

“My biggest bugbear is the amount of chewing gum on the pavements and the lack of dynamism in the town centre. It creates a lack luster impression to visitors and potential investors in our area.”

Mr MCann was brought up in Bootle and trained as a priest. He left the seminary at 19 to work in accountancy before undertaking voluntary service overseas through the British Aid programme in the Seychelles, where he later returned to manage a hotel and host a radio show.

He later studied at Liverpool University and then moved into the further education field.

The college is to start the process of fidning a replacement.