Secretary of State for Scotland Douglas Alexander, visited Forth Valley College’s Falkirk Campus today (Thursday 8 January 2026) after earlier announcing the launch of the Local Growth Fund which he hopes will help drive economic prosperity across Scotland.
FVC Principal Kenny MacInnes and Forth Valley Board of Management Chair Abhishek Agarwal, welcomed the Secretary of State for Scotland shortly after 1pm and after a brief discussion led him, local MP Euan Stainbank and Chief Executive Officer of Colleges Scotland Gavin Donoghue (pictured far left) on a tour of the facilities and to talk with Modern Apprentices in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and Construction Department.
The five regions’ allocations from the programme over the next three years (26/27 - 28/29) are:
- Glasgow City: £60.9 million
- Edinburgh & South East: £37.8 million
- Tay Cities: £19.5 million
- Ayrshire: £11.8 million
- Forth Valley Region: £9.8 million
The programme will fund regional projects which will drive economic growth. That might mean projects like infrastructure investment, business support, or skills development - projects which will make a real difference in terms of skilled jobs and people’s prosperity.
Secretary of State for Scotland Douglas Alexander said: “The UK Government is today backing regional economies across Scotland with £140 million of new investment.
“This new investment will allow local leaders to decide how best to use the funding, which could include projects to improve infrastructure, business support or skills development. The UK Government will now work with local partners to develop investment plans tailored to each region.
“By investing in local areas, reducing child poverty, and bringing down inflation, the UK Government is focused on delivering material change to people across the country – boosting living standards and improving public services.”
FVC Principal, Kenny MacInnes, said: “We were delighted to welcome Secretary of State Douglas Alexander to our Falkirk Campus today as he launched the UK Government’s new Local Growth Fund, which includes £9.8 million for the Forth Valley region.
“Any new investment and funding into our area – which includes our three local authority partners in Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire - is very welcome in these challenging times. We look forward to working with partners to explore opportunities that promote skills development, drive economic growth and deliver lasting benefits for our local communities.
“Colleges are critical to delivering the skills and innovation that underpin sustainable economic development across Scotland. Today’s visit provided an excellent opportunity to showcase the excellent work we do to drive regional growth and demonstrate how we are making learning work for our students, staff, our local communities and beyond.”
