Digital Technologies Centre in college hands

It’s official, Morgan Sindall Construction has handed over the new Basildon town centre Campus to South Essex College.

The £9 million Digital Technologies campus is now structurally complete and ready to be kitted out and opened to students in January 2021. It will house state-of-the-art facilities and equipment for students on courses with a tech focus including IT networking, app development, games design and animation.

The three-storey project has been built on the previous market site thanks to a partnership between Basildon Council, Homes England and South Essex College. The contractor, Morgan Sindall Construction, has worked hard to finish this campus in time for the new year despite the challenges COVID-19 has brought to all industries.

The college is aimed at local young people and adults who want to study and secure employment in this increasingly popular sector. When opened in January 2021, the new college will boast three floors of teaching areas suitable for students to study a rich curriculum of IT, games design and animation courses, as well as break areas and a café, to provide up to 1,000 students with a contemporary and innovative landscape to learn and relax.

Angela O’Donoghue, Principal at South Essex College, said: “The building work is finished but now it’s time to get all the equipment, furniture and IT installed. We’re really excited about our upcoming relocation to Basildon, it is going to be great to have a dedicated digital technologies site. We are thankful to our partners Morgan Sindall Construction for delivering this fantastic facility despite the challenges of 2020.”

Chris Travers, Morgan Sindall Construction’s Essex area director, said: “We are delighted to be delivering this innovative new centre for South Essex College, providing students with an enriching environment to continue their academic career. 

“We have enjoyed a close working relationship with South Essex College, Homes England, Basildon Council and all our project partners throughout the design and build process, and look forward to strengthening that relationship in the future.”

Leader of Basildon Council, Cllr Gavin Callaghan said: “This is a significant milestone for the college and the reimagining of Basildon town centre. This new state-of-the-art facility will bring an opportunity for the borough’s young people to equip themselves with the skills that are relevant to local employers. 

 “We want as many partners like South Essex College as possible – organisations that are willing to invest and help build a modern, ambitious town that can thrive into the future.”

The technologies sector has seen exponential growth in recent years. Vacancies for roles such as IT engineers increase year on year, making positions like this the fastest growing in the jobs market. Companies and organisations across the board need tech specialists in all kinds of roles. Students will  learn key digital skills at this contemporary Centre, which will help to build the workforce of the future locally and nationally.

For more information about the campus and the tech courses on offer, please visit www.southessex.ac.uk/new-state-of-the-art-campus-in-basildon