Hadlow College, one of the UK’s elite specialist centres for land-based training and educational programmes, has launched Hadlow Corporate, a new Business and Community Development Unit (BCDU).

The new unit is the latest stage of a development project begun in 2002, which has been underpinned by £3.5 million of investment to date, to forge closer links with the Kent college’s local farming and business community.

That two-year period has seen full-time student numbers rise by 38 per cent, with the increase particularly significant in agricultural courses, and a 24 per cent hike in students taking degree places at Hadlow. Ninety-eight per cent of students either find employment in rural industries or pursue additional qualifications.

A further £5m will be pumped into Hadlow in the next three years, as a recruitment drive targets students across a wide range of courses, including horticulture.

A launch event was jointly held last week with Barclays Bank, a strategic partner in the project. Hadlow’s director of finance and resources Mark Lumsdon-Taylor said: “In consultation with Barclays we have designed training programmes to benefit entrepreneurs and small businesses to equip them with the skills, advice and information they need to forge success. It is well known that 40 per cent of small businesses fail within three years of operation. Our new rural business degree course, offered from January 2006, will break fresh ground focusing on the real needs of small to medium sized enterprises.”

Lee Francis, area corporate banking director, said the change in direction at Hadlow in recent months emphasises the need for change in the industry. “We are all being asked to do more and more with less and, I am sure you can relate to spending most of your time working on your business rather than developing and growing your business,” he told around 250 guests.

“For the next few years at least, and Hadlow are leading the way in this, you all have the breathing space to reappraise what you want to do. Once you have taken this time to decide your future, if you want to farm both Barclays and Hadlow will support you. If you decide to do something else - we’ll support you with that too.”