SCOTLAND'S hard-pressed colleges are to be given an extra £24 million, MSPs were told yesterday.

Mark Batho, chief executive of the Scottish Funding Council, told Holyrood's education committee the money had been pledged by the Scottish Government.

It is unclear what the money will be spent on, but it is understood to come from the 2013/14 budget.

It will be administered by Skills Development Scotland, which has a focus on improving the employability of students.

After the committee meeting, a Scottish Government spokesman said: "Ministers have been clear that, as the Employability Fund is developed, £24m will be ring-fenced for colleges.

"We are working closely with Skills Development Scotland, the sector and other partners on finalising the details of the fund and how it will benefit learners and the economy more widely."

Liz McIntyre, principal of Scottish Borders College who represented Scotland's Colleges at the education committee meeting, welcomed the funding.

However, she warned it would still not address the significant cuts colleges have had to their teaching budgets.

"Any additional funding colleges can access is obviously welcome, and we look forward to finding out in more detail how this additional financial support will affect provision for learners," she said.

"The early indication is that this funding will support employability courses from Skills Development Scotland which would not in itself provide additional resources for core teaching grants or to support colleges undergoing transformation.

"Employability courses can be valuable for many young learners, however Scotland's Colleges is keen to work to develop these programmes to ensure they meet the aspirations of learners and the needs of employers."