Calderdale College in West Yorkshire has appointed GRAHAM Construction as the main contractor on its multi-million pound Unlocking Potential Project.
The £9m scheme will see GRAHAM Construction undertake the refurbishment of three floors of the college’s Percival Whitley Centre to create state-of-the-art learning facilities and a Learning Resource Centre (LRC).
The LRC will significantly enhance the college’s ability to deliver new courses to better meet local skills and employment needs.
Once complete, the new facilities will allow the College to provide new courses in games design, video editing, visual effects, computer sciences, dentistry, pharmacy, health, social care, childcare, engineering and manufacturing.
The upgraded Learning Resource Centre will also boast the latest digital technology and print resources to aid learning, and improve digital skills and employability.
Gary Hughes, GRAHAM regional director for the North of England, said: “This contract demonstrates our continuing growth and reflects our strong reputation for outstanding works within the education sector. It also emphasises the benefits of the value we place on a collaborative approach and working partnerships with clients and local authorities.
“We are proud to be involved in a project that will help to open up doors to more career paths and improve the learning experiences for thousands of students in West Yorkshire.”
Denise Cheng-Carter, vice principal at Calderdale College, said: “This regional investment will enable the College to support the delivery of higher level skills, including higher level apprenticeships to match training to the particular needs of students and businesses as these skills are very much in demand throughout Calderdale and the wider Leeds City Region.”
Work is due to start on the project – designed by Jefferson Sheard Architects – later this month with the project due to be completed in August 2016. It is being co-funded by Calderdale College and the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership.
The Unlocking Potential Project will become GRAHAM Construction’s second major project in Halifax in two years as it continues to work on the £23m restoration and transformation of Piece Hall, which is due to reopen in summer 2016.
GRAHAM Construction operates throughout the UK and Ireland and is a specialist in the education sector, with clients including University of Salford and Sheffield Hallam University.
Earlier this year, GRAHAM secured three multi-million pound new build and refurbishment contracts with the University of Manchester, University of York and University of Chester.
