Willmott Dixon has completed Oldham College's £9million Construction Centre five weeks ahead of schedule.

The landmark building will provide a state-of-the-art venue that empowers the college to provide elite technical education facilities to address the skills gap in the sector, enabling students to learn the building, construction and trade skills of the future.

Students will be taught technical trades and higher professional skills right through to degree level – including new T Level qualifications – and access a range of exciting career routes including architecture and surveying, electrical, plumbing and plastering.

Spaced over two stories, the building will provide first-class provision for practical plumbing and electrical work, plus flexible build spaces, testing areas, mobile workbenches, breakout and showcase areas, and associated classrooms, offices and storage space. The facility provides an extra 2,296 sq m of specialist teaching and learning space and will see construction student numbers at Oldham College increasing by 70%, plus an extra 200 apprenticeship places each year.

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Alun Francis, Oldham College Chief Executive and Principal, said: "It's really exciting for us to get into the Construction Centre and start fitting it out ready for our first batch of learners later this year.

"This will be a fantastic environment for young people and adults to get into a higher skilled trade across the construction and built environment sectors.

"It has also enabled us to expand our curriculum into areas with known labour skills shortages like internal design, dry lining and kitchen fitting.

"We're extremely grateful to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority for their assistance in funding this project.

"Also to Willmott Dixon who have done a fantastic job delivering this ahead of schedule, and on budget.

"We can't wait to showcase this facility to learners and businesses across Greater Manchester later in the summer."

The Construction Centre project got planning permission in late-January 2020 with Willmott Dixon as the lead contractor and national award-winning AHR as architects.

The scheme has included the demolition of the obsolete Bronte and Bevan teaching blocks.