MEMBER NEWS


L-R: Councillor Ian Boyer, Richard Stevens, Phil Davies, Nick Holman (Chair of Governors, City College), Chris Garcia (CEO HotSWLEP)


City College unlocks future careers in STEM


It’s all systems go for new and returning students this autumn, as City College Plymouth was handed the keys to the new Regional Centre of Excellence for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). The centre will provide a flexible


learning environment that simulates ‘real work’ scenarios with industry-standard workshops, laboratories and studios. Equipped with high- tech resources, it will support a broader and more relevant STEM curriculum for students, apprentices and local businesses. Principal and


is to enable more cross-curriculum learning that embeds enterprise, employability and STEM into everything we do. We are excited to officially have the keys, as this marks the penultimate milestone for the build and we are looking forward to the official opening.” The £13m state-of-the-art facility


‘STEM is a local and


national priority for addressing future skills shortages’


Chief Executive of the College, Phil Davies, said: “STEM is a local and national priority for addressing future skills shortages in related industries and so building the centre is a direct response to that. Our commitment is to train and develop young people and adults that both employers and the economy need. It is an investment in the future job market. “We want to stimulate interest


and support for higher-paid STEM jobs, while at the same time encouraging students to develop their careers and remain in the local workforce. Our vision for the centre


has been supported by the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership to the tune of £5.43m, with £4m from Plymouth City Council and £2.7m from the Regional Growth Fund. More than


100 regional employers were involved in its


development, and the centre will take a leading


role in helping city businesses


train and up-skill their staff, as well as ensuring a well-skilled workforce for the future. “The STEM Centre has been seen


as an essential piece of the jigsaw for determining the future success of the Plymouth economy,” said Steve Gerry, secretary to the Plymouth Manufacturers’ Group. “If Plymouth is to retain its current title of having the greatest concentration of manufacturing and engineering employment of any English city south of the


8 Chamber Profile September/October 2017


Midlands, we must have access to the very best in STEM skills training. “Young people are becoming


increasingly aware of the fantastic career opportunities that surround them in this city, and of the need to take full advantage of these great facilities if they are to form part of the STEM talent pool that we will require in order to compete in the future.” Fiona Horrell, head of


partnerships at City College, also sees the STEM Centre as a catalyst for growth. She said: “Not only will it


support Plymouth’s capacity to meet economic and labour market demands for STEM, address skills gaps, up-skill workforces and support young people into STEM careers, the centre will also meet employers’ needs for more highly- skilled, higher-level technicians and apprentices. The college is interested in working collaboratively with local employers wherever possible.”


Work on the centre, which was


built by Kier, was started in March 2016 and completed in July of this year. Andy Shepherd, site manager for the build, said: “This has been a great project and the team are immensely proud of the building. We hope the centre will provide a space where people of all ages can explore and discover a career in STEM.” Returning students are already


excited about getting to grips with all that the new centre has to offer. Monet Wozencroft, a medical


science student, commented: “In September, I will be completing the last year of my medical science BTEC. I’m very excited to be one of the first lucky students to be taught in the college’s new STEM centre before leaving for university. The centre will have new, modern classrooms including science labs and other technical learning spaces. Although this will be a big change for a lot of students, I believe it will be a big improvement and I can’t wait to get started.”


About City College Plymouth


City College Plymouth is a leading provider of innovative, technical and professional education and training, with a reputation for promoting enterprise, employability and science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).


Find out more at cityplym.ac.uk


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