The government minster in charge of business and education is set to visit Swale in the new year.

Conservative MP Nick Boles, who jointly works between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Education, will come at the request of MP Gordon Henderson.

It comes after Mr Henderson quizzed the minister on whether there are plans to establish a further education (FE) college.

The government recently launched a process of locally-led area reviews to consider how colleges can be organised to best meet the skill requirements in their locations. Kent’s will begin in 2016.

Mr Henderson said: “I welcome the review. Sittingbourne is the largest town in Kent without its own FE college.

“However, we have a unique opportunity to change that. May I invite the minister to visit the Swale Skills Centre in my constituency to learn about how, with the right help, it could easily and cheaply be extended into a small college?”

Mr Henderson has now confirmed Mr Boles will visit the town to take a tour of the centre.

The Eurolink Industrial Estate-based vocational college offers training in engineering and sustainable technologies to youngsters aged 14 and up.

The Tory also arranged a meeting next month with the leader of Kent County Council, Paul Carter, to discuss securing funding from the local authority for the expansion.

He added: “When he comes, we will set-out what we are trying to achieve, to provide more skills-based courses for youngsters in Sittingbourne.

“The skills centre can only provide a relatively limited range of subjects, we need a further education college like we have in Sheppey. This is the first step of lobbying to get it.”