He is concerned at the impact of this closure on the community and the fact that it will make it more difficult for people who have become unemployed to retrain and learn new skills so as to get them back into the work place.
Despite an extra £9 million being made available after pressure from opposition Assembly Members, lecturers and students, Gorseinon College is not receiving any of this money. Ten staff have already accepted voluntary redundancies and a further 18 jobs are threatened. Gorseinon College gained a Grade 1 in their last Estyn inspection.
Mr. Black said:
"These cuts in funding by the Labour-Plaid Cymru Government make no sense during a recession. We need to be investing in education and training not cutting back. Allowing the Life Long Learning Centre to close will harm the employment chances of many in the region and take away an important community asset."
"I urge the Minister to reverse the decision not to give Gorseinon College any further funding. Their funding problems are clearly going to have a negative effect on the local community and on their ability to deliver a vital skills agenda. The Government needs to demonstrate that education and training are still a priority for them."