Central Bedfordshire College’s construction and engineering students proudly tightened the last nut on the steel frame for the College’s new Skills and Technology Centre currently being built in Chartmoor Road in Leighton Buzzard.
The £2.5 million joint venture between Central Bedfordshire College and SEMLEP, will house professionally equipped state-of-the-art workshops for the engineering, construction, motor vehicle and aerospace industries. Keen to participate, support and develop the engineers of tomorrow, Hone-All Precision Ltd Director Andrea Rodney was at the ceremony tightening the final bolt.
Set for completion in July with the first students using the facility in September, the event marked a key milestone in the construction of the site. Key stakeholders including Hone-All’s Andrea Rodney turned out to demonstrate their support for the project that is designed to support the growing skills needs of the area.
As part of the Hone-All participation, Andrea Rodney has been sitting on the advisory panel to develop and decide upon the layout, structure and equipment required to best support students for life in industry and matching it with the demands of local employers. As Hone-All’s Andrea Rodney says: “We already have an apprentice at the college who has just passed his Level 3 engineering qualification. It is vital for industry to play a pivotal role with technical colleges and universities to develop the engineers of tomorrow. It is the input from businesses like Hone-All that will help to bridge the skills gap between academia and industry by inputting our industrial expertise and guidance to ensure course material is relevant to the needs of manufacturers.”
The Right Honourable Andrew Selous MP, who is a champion for skills development, attended the event alongside Captains of Industry from British Aerospace Engineering, Hone – All Precision and Ashe Construction. Commenting on the progress made to date, he said: “I’m delighted to see Leighton Buzzard and Linslade’s new Engineering and Construction Skills Centre going up, to be ready for students this September. It’s a much needed facility for students and businesses locally, and I am delighted to see taking shape.”
Principal Ali Hadawi CBE said: “It was great to have our students involved in this event today as they are the engineers and technicians of the future who will benefit from this high-tech centre where they will gain advanced technical skills.” He continued: “The close involvement from industry means our students will gain industry relevant skills that they can take forward to university or employment in any number of companies in the local area.”
Applications are open for courses starting in September 2017 – visit centralbeds.ac.uk/courses to apply.
