Middlesbrough College appoints developer for £3.1m STEM Centre expansion

A North East college has announced that plans for its £3.1m expansion are moving forward.

Middlesbrough College has awarded a design and build contract to Surgo Construction to extend its STEM Centre.

The expansion plans come after the college’s selection by the Department for Education (DfE) to be a partner in the North East Institute of Technology.

The £3.1million project, which has received £2.7m funding from the DfE, will extend the college’s existing STEM Centre at its Middlehaven campus by 11,800 sq ft.

Jeff Alexander, director of Surgo Construction, commented: “We are delighted to have been appointed on a design and build basis to extend the existing STEM Centre and are looking forward to commencing on site soon.

“Working closely with the college and other stakeholders we will ensure that any possible disruption to studies by our presence on site will be kept to an absolute minimum.”

Zoe Lewis, College principal, added: “We have over 15,000 students attend the college annually, and over 3,000 of them will pass through the STEM Centre each year.

“This includes full-time students, those looking to retrain or upskill, as well as apprentices.

“Having the prestigious IoT status cements our status as a provider of high-quality technical qualifications, working together with our students and employer partners to upskill the regional workforce and support local businesses.

“I’m delighted that Surgo is on board and will use its extensive experience in our sector to deliver a great new addition to the college’s STEM Centre.”

Professor Brian Cox is scheduled to open the new Centre next year.

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