Centre for Advanced Technologies officially opens in Leigh

South Essex College held a celebratory breakfast event at its state-of-the-art Stephenson Road Campus to mark its first anniversary and official opening.

The Centre for Advanced Technologies, located off Progress Road in Leigh, is the flagship campus for the college’s construction, engineering and motor vehicle provision.

The event was attended by numerous dignitaries including representatives from local authorities, businesses and training providers and was an opportunity to showcase the facilities to these partners.

It also enabled students to showcase their skills and meet local employers to find out about employment opportunities in the sector.

The college’s workforce team also took the opportunity to forge closer links with sector professionals to benefit students during and after their studies.

Angela O’Donoghue, College Principal and Chief Executive, said: “We are very proud of this fantastic facility and the opportunities it brings to students.

“We have worked with local organisations to identify training opportunities that are in demand in the local area and through this state-of-the-art facility we will be able to provide young people with the skills they need to succeed.”

Graham Cleland, Managing Director of Berkeley Modular also spoke at the event. The company has partnered with the college to develop and deliver skills training to its new factory workforce and is supporting this with the provision of modular housing units as a training facility. 

Graham elaborated on the challenges faced with training staff for the offsite construction sector and stated how the skills requirements are fundamentally different to those required for traditional construction methods. This has required the development of bespoke training through a tripartite relationship between employer, supply chain and college. Delivery of the training is scheduled to commence in January 2020. 

You can find out more about courses available at the site and see the state-of-the-art facilities first hand at the upcoming open event, 5-8pm on Wednesday 20 November.

Visit www.southessex.ac.uk/oe to find out more.