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Trafford College secures £1.6m for STEM centre redevelopment

Trafford College in Altrincham, Cheshire has raised over £1.6m from a government initiative, which is investing in college regeneration to support British Industry.

The funding will comprise 33% of the project value, and will enable the completion of Trafford College’s Talbot Road campus.

The college hopes its redevelopment and modernisation efforts will support a skills shortage identified in the UK in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.

Redevelopment works have already been carried out at Trafford College’s Altrincham site, and this funding has enabled the second phase of regeneration.

Principal, Sir Bill Moorcroft, commented: “Following on from the highly successful development of the College’s Altrincham site, we are delighted that our plans for the extension and redevelopment of Talbot Road are nearly complete.

“This redevelopment will not only allow us to continue to provide the highest standard of teaching and learning for our students, but it will also act as a resource for the whole community, bringing access to state-of-the-art facilities and training opportunities to local residents.”

The project will provide specialist and advanced learning facilities by upgrading teaching and learning rooms, developing an interactive learning zone and creating of five STEM learning laboratories.

When the project is completed, the college says it will have removed all remaining poor or inoperable space.

Leader of Trafford Council, Matt Colledge, said, “Trafford College is one of the borough’s great assets and this enhanced facility at Talbot Road will not only increase the already excellent educational and training opportunities the college can offer, but also complements the ongoing regeneration plans for the Stretford area.”

More than 20 further education colleges across the country received a share of £168m on Friday, including Salford City College, who won nearly £2m to reconfigure their campus and upgrade their buildings.

This funding is the second round of the College Capital Investment Fund (CCIF), through which £550 million is being made available between 2013 and 2015.

Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and skills, Dr Vince Cable, commented: “Vocational education and skills are an important part of rebalancing our economy. They not only help with widening participation, but also help to provide a workforce best equipped for the modern world.

“There is a longstanding backlog in college building and refitting. We are investing to address this. These colleges will be able to provide good teaching facilities in all parts of the country, helping us to build the skills base across the country.”

Skills Minister Matthew Hancock added: “To grow British industry and compete in the global race we need our colleges to produce highly skilled engineers, designers, mechanics and builders.

“However nearly a million learners in this country have a substandard experience due to poor estates and facilities.

“To produce world class talent we must have the facilities to match so over the next two years we have are investing £550 million in colleges.

“This will help to build the state of the art workshops and research centres to help young people reach their full potential.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .