Join Canterbury 4 Business Today

C4b Board Update - Click here to read the latest board meeting minutes

The importance of education

Figures from the latest complete study in 2001/2 (another study is being undertaken by the City Council this year) estimated the contribution of the four higher education institutions in Canterbury to be in the region of £127 million, with the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University contributing approximately £66 million and £44 million respectively. Uprating these figures to take account of the growth in the four institutions between 2001/2 (using growth in student numbers as a guide) would give an equivalent gross output figure of £166 million in 2004/5.

The four institutions also provide jobs and boost local disposable income. In addition to those people already directly employed by the four institutions, an estimated 3,400 local full-time equivalent jobs were dependent on the expenditure of the institutions, their staff and students in 2001/2. In 2004/5 this figure would have grown to about 4,400 jobs. When it comes to local disposable income, the report estimated that the four institutions had a gross impact of around £42 million per annum in 2001/2, approximately £7 million higher than in 1998/1999. This is an estimate of the gross disposable income made available to local residents who would have lived in the district even if the institutions were not there. In 2004/5 this figure would have grown to around £55 million per annum.

For more information about the University of Kent’s proposals to develop new student accommodation and a conference centre at Chaucer Fields, visit www.uok-consultation.co.uk or contact Jessica Stewart on 0207 357 6606 or email jessica.stewart@localdialogue.com