Construction firm Willmott Dixon has secured a £10m contract to develop a University Technical College (UTC) in Durham.

The new UTC South Durham will be built on the Aycliffe Business Park.

The project, which is due to begin soon, will be developed in collaboration with engineers at Hitachi Rail Europe's plant nearby, along with Gestamp Tallent and the University of Sunderland.

Willmott Dixon said the UTC's link-up with large engineering companies will encourage a new generation of skills and provide a boost to the region's manufacturing capability.

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The company was appointed through the Scape Major Works Framework and is working with Newcastle-based Ryder Architecture to deliver the three-storey facility.

The UTC will contain general and specialist engineering equipment such as computer-aided design, science laboratories, workshops and a teaching block for studying GCSE and A level subjects.

Managing Director in the North East, Anthony Dillon, said: "We have a highly skilled local team that is really excited to be responsible for this excellent new UTC. As with all our work, we will try whenever possible to use local companies during the project."

The new facility will open in September 2016.

(LM/CD)