Insight 42 - Magazine - Page 10
New cutting-edge College
Construction Centre
T
he ambitious Construction
Centre project is a 3,000m2 new
build, making it the UK's newest
teaching centre for all of the construction
trades. The centre includes workshops
for practical learning for the plumbing,
electrical and renewables installation
trades, a Construction Lab, a VR learning
suite and general teaching and IT
classrooms.
The new building will significantly
enhance the student experience and is
aimed at improving the quality of training
and skills that the college students have
available to them.
Cutting-edge sustainability practices and
performance have been at the heart of this
new building, including the installation of
air source heat pumps and solar PV panels.
The centre is also one of the first projects
in the UK to use bricks made from fully
recycled materials.
Daisy Cooper applauded the College's
efforts to train up students with the
skills for the future of construction. "We
desperately need to have a construction
workforce that is built for the next 10, 15
years, and I really hope that this opening
will be at the heart of that," she said.
The college worked with RG Carter
10
"We are so grateful
to all of the
businesses that
are supporting
our students at the
College"
Left to right: Peter Thompson, Chair of
Oaklands Corporation, Daisy Cooper MP,
and Andrew, Principal & CEO
bIZ4BIZ INSIGHT MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2024
Construction, DLA Architecture and
Fusion Project Management to create this
impressive new building, and the official
launch of the centre was attended by
other local Colleges and companies, such
as Morgan Sindall and RDT Architects,
that work with Oaklands to provide work
placement for its T Level students.
Principal and CEO Andrew Slade thanked
RG Carter Construction for creating an
adaptable space. "The building has been
designed to make sure we can change
rooms to reflect the needs of the industry
and make sure we achieve that longevity
for this building. And that's vital because
with technology moving at such a pace,
we need to be able to adapt our space
for future plumbers, electricians and
engineers."
Claire Dolan, Deputy Principal Strategy,
Partnership and Business Development,
Oaklands College, said: "It is great to
get the building open officially and see it
teeming with dedicated students who are
enjoying the new space.
"We are so grateful to all of the businesses
that are supporting our students at the
College, offering placement and work
experience. However, our T Level students
