A new £5million building at Cirencester College is nearing completion.
Staff celebrated the structural completion of the new T-level building, set to open in late autumn, with a ‘topping out’ ceremony.
College principal Jim Grant was joined by Sam Carter, managing director of E G Carter & Co Ltd, Dave Marks, associate partner at Ward Williams Associates, and representatives from the Education and Skills Funding Agency.
T-levels are technical-based qualifications that are equivalent to three A-levels.
They are a mixture of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience and have been developed in collaboration with employers in the hope of preparing students to succeed in the workplace.
Cirencester College became the first provider for T-levels in Gloucestershire in 2020 and offers courses in subjects such as accounting, childcare and IT support.
The landmark building will provide T-level students with sector specialist accommodation, including three large engineering suites, a small training hospital and a mock-up early years classroom.
The building was designed by local architects Roberts Limbrick and is being built by local building firm E G Carter & Co Ltd, the same team who designed and built the Gloucestershire Digital Skills Centre, which opened at the college in May.
READ MORE: Digital Skills Centre opens at Cirencester College
Principal Jim Grant said: “This stunning new building will house most of our T-levels in state-of-the-art workshops as well as facilities to work with employers.
"The construction team are making excellent progress and we expect our students will be learning about engineering, construction, business, finance, health, and early years during the Autumn term.
"The roof is a special feature with the first ‘blue roof’ in Cirencester, designed to evaporate rainwater rather than run it into the sewers.
"Other green features include PVs on the roof and air source heat pumps, and we have designed viewing panels and controlled access so students can learn about how these green engineering systems work.
"The views from the roof, all the way to Marlborough Downs, are amazing.”
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