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12/06/2007 - construction work completed on burton college university centre
Construction work at the site of Burton College’s University Centre development has been completed.
The £5 million, three storey, 2500 square metre University Centre, undertaken by Midlands construction contractor GF Tomlinson will bring a rapid growth of 19-35 year old students, with a diverse spending pattern, to Burton more than doubling the number of students currently on higher education courses. Student numbers will increase from 600 to over 1250 by 2010. This will certainly have a significant impact on the prosperity of the town.
Commenting on the development, College Principal and Chief Executive Keith Norris said, “The University Centre marks a radical departure from the more traditional university. As well as making a significant contribution to the local economy, the provision of locally based higher education is very important in increasing access and participation, particularly for those people who cannot afford to travel and live away from home. Research has shown that young people from low income families or disadvantaged backgrounds are much more likely to continue in education if they can avoid incurring debts. In addition, the Centre will provide the chance for more mature students to return to learning in a convenient place, whilst continuing with their career at work.
“However, I would like to make it clear that there are no plans for the College to become a University. Our plan is to make sure we serve the needs of local employers and individuals across all levels of training and education. We are continuing to invest in and develop the College’s further education and work based learning programmes. This is reflected in the recent completion of our new £2.3 million Automotive and Engineering Skills Academy, which provides a modern and realistic setting for training, closely mirroring a commercial motor vehicle and engineering environment.
“The current projects come only four years after HRH Earl of Wessex opened what was the biggest single investment in Burton’s educational facilities, with the College investing £7 million developing a new teaching block to facilitate moving the management of art and design and performing arts from Rolleston, a dedicated Sixth Form Centre and the Sports Hall at Shobnall. This clearly demonstrates our commitment to continuously invest and develop to ensure that the people of Burton have access to some of the best regional educational and training facilities, and underlines our mission to achieve excellence.”
Purpose built to offer a high quality, learning environment with leading edge skills facilities, the University Centre, which is sited in Burton’s Abbey Street, incorporates a three storey teaching block designed to include a wide range of amenities from computer rooms and a cyber café to a recording studio and business centre. To ensure that the centre will help to facilitate increased competitiveness of the local manufacturing sector, a Lean Manufacturing Centre will be situated on the ground floor designed to replicate an authentic factory environment. In addition, there will be 15 start up units for small one and two person businesses. Planned to encourage entrepreneurship, the units will offer the opportunity to set up a business in a protected environment with low cost rents, and students will be encouraged to carry out projects and research for those new ventures.
In partnership with Staffordshire, Nottingham Trent and Derby Universities and after consultation with a number of employers, a variety of new courses will be on offer complementing the College’s existing range of higher education qualifications, covering subject areas from Music Technology, Construction Management, Sport and Exercise Science, Leisure and Tourism Management and Media to Interactive Computer Technology, Law, Business Administration, Computing, Polymer Technology, Civil Engineering and Project Management together with a full range of teaching qualifications.
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