You can also read this press release on the Eastern Daily Press website by clicking here.
East Coast College has opened a new Civil Engineering and Construction Campus to fill the future skills gap in the sector and help the government achieve its “net zero” target.
The new campus based at Lound near Lowestoft, opened its doors for the first time on Wednesday 5th July for a Vision Launch, before opening to students this coming September. The college hosted two launch events, with the morning attended by Mayor of Lowestoft, Sonia Barker, council leaders, and representatives from Sizewell C supply chain and National College for Nuclear.
The afternoon was attended by local employers, allowing them to have their say in what curriculum and opportunities they would like to see from the new campus. The event was held in association with Flannery Plant Hire, where all attendees had the opportunity to have a go on their plant simulators to win money for their chosen charity. There were two winners, resulting in £250 being donated to Dream Flight and another £250 to Norfolk Accident Rescue Service (NARS).
Professor Saul Humphrey, Chair of Building Growth and a Governor at East Coast College, was one of the guest speakers at the event. He said: “It was wonderful to see East Coast College launching the new campus. With massive infrastructure, energy and retrofit expansion required to advance our “net zero” ambitions, this is just what the construction and civil engineering sector needs to meet the more sustainable demands of tomorrow”.
Guest speakers from Suffolk and Norfolk County Council spoke about just how large the energy skills gap will be once Sizewell C construction commences from 2024, and what an opportunity the civil engineering and construction sector holds for adults wanting to retrain, or students looking for a lifetime career.
Stuart Rimmer, Chief Executive of East Coast College, said: “The Civil Engineering Campus provides a fantastic new set of facilities which have been developed in partnership with industry. This will bring on new curriculum and new opportunities for civils training within our region to set local people up for the high skill and high wage jobs linked to Norfolk and Suffolk infrastructure such as road, rail, energy, and utilities.”
To find out more about partnership opportunities or curriculum design for the new Civil Engineering and Construction Campus, contact [email protected]