BIRKENHEAD Sixth Form college has won funding to set up a new scheme that will get more students online outside of lessons.

It beat off competition from more than 100 other colleges nationwide to secure the £150,000 grant, as part of a mobile learning initiative run by MoLeNet.

The project will put a 'learning cloud' over the college and surrounding areas, enabling students to work on college files while at home or out on placements.

It is hoped the scheme will give students a more flexible learning environment and improve their academic and vocational learning.

Mal Blackburne, the college's E-Learning manager, said: "This is an exciting opportunity to provide students with a pioneering method of learning. Students will greatly benefit from being able to access resources and submit assessments via a mobile device that they can simply carry around with them."