Plans to be submitted for a new £3.3m construction skills centre

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A planning application is set to be submitted for a construction skills centre in Somerset…

Bath College is set to submit planning permission to build a new £3.3m construction skills centre in Westfield, Somerset.

The college is hoping to build the centre at the Somer Valley campus. It will create “a one-stop shop” for students aiming to enter a career in the construction industry.

The plans are for a 2,665 m² centre that will be located on the existing car park space at the college. It will focus on full-time programmes for 14- to 16-year-olds and 16- to 18-year-olds. It will also offer apprenticeships and higher education, as well as programmes for the unemployed.

It is hope the centre will create a local talent pool for the area. Among the courses offered will be brickwork, building services, carpentry, construction, painting and decorating, plumbing, refrigeration and air conditioning, stonemasonry, and electrical engineering.

It is expected the centre will cost £3.342m to complete. Some £2.506m has already been secured from the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Local Growth Fund.

Bath College principal Matt Atkinson said: “The new facility will prioritise the development of skills for employability, prioritise an increase in apprenticeships, and raise skills levels within the construction workforce.

“The centre will offer a variety of training in a range of trades and disciplines, which are needed by local employers and businesses operating in the West of England.

“Bath College will establish an employer panel to ensure that our course offering remains responsive to local employer needs.

“The project will support the vision of the newly merged college to create a specialist learning hub at the Somer Valley Campus, where skills are closely linked to economic needs in support of local economic development.”

Last week, a public consultation was held to allow local residents to give their views on the plans before the application is submitted. If approved, the centre could be opened as early as 2017.

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