Tameside College has awarded the contract to build its £11m construction skills centre in Ashton-under-Lyne to Greater Manchester-based Bardsley Construction.
The Construction Centre will house a wide range of courses under one roof to meet the educational and training demands of the ever-growing construction sector.
With completion due in December 2020, the centre will include state of the art and next generation tools and equipment, individual learning bays, and specialist learning spaces to train the next generation of plumbers, bricklayers, painters, electricians and joiners.
The two-storey development is the next phase of ‘Vision Tameside’, the college’s transformation of its entire estate which already features Clarendon Sixth Form College, the Advanced Technologies Centre, TCFE and Tameside One.
Tameside College has worked alongside Tameside Council, under the banner of Vision Tameside, to regenerate the borough by providing school leavers with the best further education learning environment in the north-west of England.
Jackie Moores, principal, Tameside College said: “We are delighted that Bardsley Construction, as a local employer, will build our new construction centre. This building is an important addition to Tameside College for the people of Tameside.
“As the number one college in Greater Manchester for school leavers and apprentices we need first class facilities for our learners, employers and staff. We are confident that Bardsley Construction will meet the high specifications required to meet the expectations of students and employers.”
Ged Rooney, pre-construction director at family-owned Bardsley Construction, said: “Bardsley has a long-standing and proud reputation for training and developing the skills of people in the construction sector via initiatives such as Give Construction a Try and our valued appointment to deliver this outstanding centre for Tameside College underlines that ongoing commitment.”
The Construction Skills Centre has been designed by Manchester-based architects 10 Architect. Other members of the College’s project team include Fusion Project Management, Arcadis, Waterman Building Services and Scott Hughes Design.
