Students, staff, employers and building project managers marked the official start of Exeter College’s latest building project with the turf cutting ceremony for the new £8.5million Technology Centre due to open September 2012.

The start of the construction phase of the world class Technology Centre, based at Monkerton, was attended by a host of interested parties including, College Principal, Richard Atkins and senior managers involved in the build and the new Centre; Mansell South West Regional Director, Andy McAdam and his senior team, Sean Limbrick, Supacat Chief Engineer and Chair of the Engineering Employer Forum at the college, Mansell’s Trainee Surveyor, Melissa Sparkes as well as a small group of students keen to see the start of the new facilities that they will be using in less than a year’s time.

The new facility will provide industry-led teaching space, workshops and laboratories for both practical and academic learning for around 300 students from across Exeter and Devon. The students will be studying a wide range of courses, ranging from part-time introductory courses for 14 – 16 year olds in partnership with local schools; 16 – 18 year old full-time level 1 – 3 vocational courses, university-level courses and dedicated employer training. The Centre will provide an important focus for the training of a range of apprentices who will be able to take advantage of the most modern industry equipment, giving them up to date skills to be used as they work with a range of local and regional businesses.

The Technology Centre has an important link with one college student in particular. Melissa Sparkes, who has just completed her BTEC National Diploma in Construction at the College and is now studying her HNC in Construction is working on the site as Trainee Surveyor for Mansells and is putting her academic knowledge into practice during this project.

The centre will house technical workshops and classrooms including an MOT testing bay, garage workshop area for the repair, maintenance and servicing of motor vehicles and motorcycles. A CADCAM Engineering IT suite, diagnostic testing labs and a three-storey learning and IT centre will complete the centre.

Principal, Richard Atkins said, “It’s a really exciting development for us, for the area and the local economy. There’s no doubt that engineering and manufacturing are absolutely key to the economic recovery so to be investing a significant amount of money in a new facility in Exeter at the minute seems to be exactly the right thing to do. It links very well to the Science Park and all the developments to the east of Exeter. We are delighted to be starting work with a local firm to develop future generations of engineers and technicians. We are very keen to work closely with the new Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership and this is a great example of the sort of developments that are going to be needed in the region.”

Sean Limbrick, Supacat’s chief engineer and chair of the college’s engineering forum said he expects firms like his to use the centre for staff training as well as a source of new recruits. “It’s great news,” he said. “One thing we always struggle with is finding good, qualified people. I look to the college as fertile ground for producing apprentices.”