Clegg Construction’s project to deliver a £8.8m skills hub designed to train Nottinghamshire-based students for careers in emerging industries continues to progress well, ahead of its completion next summer, with the scheme’s steel frame now being erected.
The Future Tech Skills and Knowledge Exchange at West Nottinghamshire College’s bustling Chesterfield Road campus will provide 1,343 sq.m. of teaching and innovation space.
The state-of-the-art, steel frame building – currently under construction on the site of the college’s former art and design building which was once home to the Mansfield School of Art – will help facilitate the delivery of a variety of T-Level courses being introduced by the college, with a strong focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects, including construction.
This highly anticipated facility will also provide a purpose-built space in which the college’s students and partner Nottingham Trent University (NTU) can work with local employers on projects to support the use of evolving technology, helping to meet future labour market needs, decrease skills gaps, and contribute to the creation of well-paid jobs in Mansfield and the wider district.
Over the past few months, Clegg has cleared the site and progressed split-level groundworks, and the project is now beginning to come to life as the steel frame is erected ahead of envelope works commencing.
Additionally, not all of the old School of Art building has gone forever; the former building’s original stone portico feature – including the frieze, name stone and cornice – has been carefully dismantled and stored, and will provide the feature entrance to the new facility.
The new building is set across two floors, responding to the sloping site. It will use light wells to maximise natural light on the lower ground floors alongside heat recovery and Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems to help provide a comfortable learning environment.
Darren Chapman, operations director at Clegg Construction, said: “We’re delighted to be working with one of the leading further education providers in the East Midlands on the construction of its Future Tech Skills and Knowledge Exchange hub.
“As a Nottinghamshire-based contractor, several of our staff, including me, are West Nottinghamshire College alumni and neighbours – and many of us began our respective career journeys with a traineeship. We appreciate the value of pathways such as T-Levels and Apprenticeships in encouraging the next generation of young professionals to join the multi-faceted construction sector, and we are especially excited to be involved in the creation of these new facilities.”
The skills hub is being constructed on land to the rear of the college’s sixth-form building, with both set to co-exist on the same site. The site team has been working closely with the college to safeguard students, staff and visitors and minimise the impact of works on the learning environment. This has been achieved through considerate programme management, stringent health and safety procedures, and a collaborative communication strategy.
Andrew Cropley, principal and chief executive of West Nottinghamshire College, said: “I’m delighted to see the Future Tech Skills and Knowledge Exchange emerge from the ground and begin to take shape. It is a fantastic, physical symbol of a growing sense of optimism and a determination to embrace technology – and to create an exciting and prosperous future for local people.
“We look forward to working with our partners from Nottingham Trent University and in local businesses to help young people, adult learners and employers to develop the skills and knowledge that will enable them to seize opportunities and grow our economy.
“This building will provide a great partner to our sixth-form college on Chesterfield Road and make this site a focus for nurturing skills and expanding knowledge in the very heart of the East Midlands.”
Funding for the Future Tech Skills and Knowledge Exchange is through a £4.3 million allocation from Mansfield District Council’s Towns Fund pot, £3.8 million from the Education and Skills Funding Agency as part of the second phase of its Further Education Capital Transformation Fund, and £734,000 from the college and NTU.
Executive Mayor of Mansfield, Andy Abrahams, said: “To see the steel frame structure in place for this state-of-the-art facility is a proud moment for the council as we are starting to see the reality of our regeneration plans for education in Mansfield come to life.
“I am confident that the Future Tech Skills and Knowledge Exchange, once constructed and fully operational, will attract new employers to Mansfield as it develops high-level, industry-relevant skills here.
“Our partnership with the college to bring one of the biggest expansions in educational and skills provision for decades is one I am incredibly proud of, and I cannot wait to see the site works gather pace and conclude in the coming months.”
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