KIRKLEES College is stepping up educational links with China.

It has received confirmation of new funding to continue developing design and animation courses.

A pilot scheme in the last term proved extremely successful.

Now the College can expand the project – and hopefully offer Huddersfield students the chance to study in the Far East.

The International Team at Kirklees College has secured funding for another year to work with educational institutions in China, which will benefit design students and staff in Kirklees.

College staff, funded by the Prime Ministers Initiative (PMI) worked with Doncaster College to develop a module for Graphic Design and Animation courses in China and the UK.

The module aims to better prepare students for the world of work.

College officials visited Hangzhou in China where the Chinese students who had taken the module presented their work to government officials and other educational institutions at a special ‘dissemination event’.

Annette Rhodes, International Manager at Kirklees College, said the project should provide the graduates with better skills for the work place.

She said the trip had been a huge success, which had even resulted in an appearance on Chinese TV news.

She said: “When we secured funding for this project, we held employer forums in Hangzhou City, the hub for the creative industries in China.

“This was to find out what skills they felt design graduates lack when they begin a job at their companies.

“They felt graduates didn’t have the confidence to communicate effectively with clients, the knowledge of real working processes and the right presentation skills to demonstrate the research behind a finished design.

“We’re a college that is used to working closely with employers to develop courses which give students work-ready skills.

“The aim for us was to build relations with employers and the education sector in China and try out a module that should equip students to thrive in their new work environment.”

The new funding will mean that the project can continue with a broader curriculum, can integrate the work of the Chinese and UK students more and provide a student exchange programme and a dedicated website to support the students’ work.

The project also means opportunities for Chinese students to study in Kirklees.