The Government has awarded Nottingham College £4 million from its post-16 education funding for a purpose-built construction skills centre. The new centre will meet local demand for vocational training in the construction sector among young people aged 16-18.
The college will itself is investing £1.2 million in the centre which is set to open by September next year on the college’s Basford campus, which already home to the region’s largest construction training facility.
It will eventually allow up to 1,000 young people to access construction training and qualifications every year, on top of the many adults and apprentices the college trains. A detailed planning application for the new centre has already been submitted.
It will complement another £6 million educational facility set to be built on the Basford campus site, offering specialist provision for students with learning disabilities or difficulties.
The college is in the process of appointing a contractor to oversee both projects.
When added to other investment the college has secured in the last 12-18 months, it means college students will benefit from more than £16 million of investment in new and improved facilities, equipment, learning spaces and resources.
These include:
- £1.2 million from the OfS for industry-standard laboratory spaces at the college’s City Hub campus
- £1.8 million to upgrade and develop the college’s art and design provision within its 25 Stoney Street campus.
- £700,000 on AI, Automation and Robotics equipment to enhance its higher technical offer at its engineering centre within the college’s Highfields campus.
- £650,000 to develop a new simulated adult care ward within the college’s city hub
- Almost £400,000 from the government’s Strategic Development fund to invest in a fleet of high performing electric, hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to train the next generation of automotive technician.
- More than £300,000 from the OfS to develop new Level 4 and 5 pathways in modern methods of construction and computing, again in response to growing demand for higher level skills locally.
Carl Ara, Basford’s Head of Centre, who will oversee the developments, said: Basford has a long track record for excellence in construction training and skills development and this new centre will ensure that we as a college are equipped to meet the growing demand for these skills within our local and regional economy.
“Young people enrolling with us will not only receive first-class training across all the traditional construction trades, they will also be able to access specialist green skills training as well as higher level technical training to ensure that they can access the growing range of jobs and careers in this important sector.
“This significant investment which is supporting our continued growth in this area will be music to the ears of our employers who rely on us to develop and train their current and future workforce.”
