A BID by Oxford and Cherwell Valley College to provide more educational choice in Bicester can only be welcomed.

The studio school would offer young people a chance to specialise in either sustainable construction or engineering logistics, and with a chance of a job at the end of it.

On a national level there are almost a million unemployed young people, so it’s great to see locally that industry has come together to work with education providers. We hope the bid will have more success than the earlier UTC bids.

But this new proposal does have more scope that just focusing on sustainable living. Hopefully the officials who make the decision will be swayed by the calibre of the businesses backing the scheme.

It has certainly got some big local names – such as Chiltern Railways and Clearview Traffic – taking it very seriously. Bicester is steadily moving forward.

Education is important to many of us and ensuring our children have the best possible choices must be a priority.

It must be over a decade since Oxford and Cherwell Valley College, soon to be re-organised to become City of Oxford College and Banbury and Bicester College, opened its motorsport facility in the town and that has been a huge success for the organisation.

We can only hope the “studio school”, if it is approved, will follow in its footsteps.

The good news is that the land has been set aside at Kingsmere and outline planning permission is in place.

That means, if approved, the college should be able to move quickly to get planning permission and get the diggers rolling in.