The Isle of Wight College has announced an exciting new investment worth close to £6.5m to develop a new Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Centre.
Debbie Lavin, Principal of the Isle of Wight College, has confirmed that funding had been made available from Government to develop an exciting new Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Centre to be constructed on land adjacent to the College’s Sixth Form Centre. Confirmation of funding was received last week and, subject to planning approval, building work will commence in March 2014 with completion in September 2015.
The new building will provide large flexible learning spaces, industry standard workshops and high technology resources to support a broader more relevant curriculum in STEM subjects to meet the needs of Isle of Wight learners, local employers, the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and other stakeholders.
The Isle of Wight College has consulted with key island employers to ensure the proposed facility is appropriately equipped as a state-of-the-art learning environment. There will be the best engineering training facilities covering robotics, pneumatics, hydraulics and CAD/CAM. To further support the increasing number of island employers in the renewable technology industry, the College will expand its practical provision through the installation of sustainable technology equipment, including rooftop solar panels and a wind turbine, to support the delivery of courses in renewable energies.
For 16-18 year olds and adult learners this facility will better prepare them for the transition to the workplace. Apprentices who attend college on day release will work with equipment and resources which are better aligned with their workplace and emerging technologies. High quality ICT will be integrated throughout STEM programmes, equipping learners with technological knowledge for advanced manufacturing and engineering industries.
Debbie Lavin said:
“This is a significant further investment in the College, with the majority of investment coming through the Skills Funding Agency. Such a state-of-the-art facility will provide a fabulous learning experience for students, help to secure a highly skilled workforce for island employers, and we look forward to inspiring young people to study STEM subjects”.
