Kier officially handed over the Brunel Centre, the new £2m skills centre for Newton Abbot and the Teign Valley.

The centre, which will be run jointly by the three secondary schools serving the area – Teign School, Coombeshead Academy and Newton Abbot College - will offer technical and vocational courses for young people.

Situated on the Brunel Industrial Estate, the Brunel Centre was funded by Devon County Council and Teignbridge District Council.

Teign School head teacher Vyv Game led the project for the schools, commenting: "This builds on the three schools’ very successful post-16 project and will both widen and broaden our technical and vocational offering for Newton Abbot and the Teign Valley.

-- Advertisement --

"The courses, which start in September, are already fully subscribed."

There will a range of vocational training areas in the new centre for the construction trades, as well as a fully functioning kitchen and restaurant for the catering students - the restaurant is intended to be opened to the public to give the students real, hands-on experience.

The first 50 students will start their courses in the Brunel Centre in September in food preparation, construction and professional cookery.

Devon County Council's deputy leader and cabinet member for resources, John Clatworthy, said: "I am delighted that work has been completed on the new skills centre building.

"This is a real partnership between the three schools, Devon County Council and Teignbridge District Council and it’s situated on the business park where the students will see at first hand the real life world of work."

(CD/GK)