HE/FE NEWS Bath College partners with Beard Construction on Real Skills Hub
Bath College has announced Beard Construction as a new Strategic Partner of the ‘Construction and Building Services - Real Skills Hub’, giving 350 learners and apprentices per year a clear pathway into local labour markets.
Connecting classroom learning with commercial experience means learners develop professional behaviours, a portfolio of evidence, industry experience, and placements, creating a successful route into employment.
The partnership will focus on site visits, workshops, and masterclass sessions, while offering opportunities for learners to engage in practical construction projects and placements. Beard will begin to contribute from the start of the 2026/27 academic year. Beard and Bath College will also review course content in response
to current skills gaps and needs in the West of England to develop relevant employment opportunities for learners.
Sam Kenny, Assistant Principal at Bath College, said: “We are pleased to welcome Beard as a Strategic Partner for construction and building services. Beard has an outstanding reputation for innovation and investing in people, making it an ideal partner in developing the next generation of construction professionals.
“This partnership gives learners access to invaluable industry insight and meaningful, real-world opportunities to engage with employers. By working closely with Beard, our curriculum aligns with industry needs and creates clear progression routes into apprenticeships, further study, and rewarding careers within the sector.” The overall initiative will address local construction skills gaps, expand career opportunities for young learners, and help reduce the number of young people who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET) by creating clearer routes into skills development and employment.
Beard will be the first of many companies across several industries to partner with Bath College for the Real Skills Hub. Further partnerships, activities, and details will follow as the initiative develops.
Birmingham City University saves £2 million in decarbonisation project
Birmingham City University has replaced the gas heating in its School of Health Sciences with heat pumps, as part of a wider £3.3 million decarbonisation programme across the university’s estate.
Delivered by principal contractor SHEco Renewable Systems in collaboration with wholesaler, Kooltech and heat pump manufacturer, Mitsubishi Electric, a two-month value-engineering process identified £2 million of savings for the university, while fully meeting the building’s requirements. The wider programme is supported by funding from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, managed by Salix.
The funding has enabled the University to
replace ageing gas boilers and chillers at its City South Campus with a heat pump-led heating and cooling system. This provides more than 1MW of heating and 1MW of cooling, with 50kW solar array and extensive LED lighting upgrades to further reduce electricity consumption.
The measures support the university’s long- term sustainability strategy and carbon reduction commitments, marking one of the university’s first large-scale, heat pump-led decarbonisation projects and setting a clear benchmark for building transformation in the higher education sector. The solution uses two Climaveneta NX2-Q air source heat pumps which provide simultaneous heating and cooling to the building. These also feed four EW-HT water-to-water heat pumps which boost the water temperatures to 70°C, avoiding the need to change any of the secondary- side heat emitters, which helped reduce the overall budget.
Specialist product support from Mitsubishi
Electric also ensured the flow temperatures matched the cooling and heating loads for the building, while meeting the requirements for the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and existing City South Campus buildings infrastructure.
Cheshire College – South and West and Macclesfield College merge
Cheshire College - South & West and Macclesfield College have formally become one organisation following the successful completion of a legal merger.
The newly merged College now serves more than 15,000 learners each year, including over 6,000 young people, around 1,500 apprentices
and thousands of adult learners. Supported by approximately 900 staff, with an annual income of almost £80 million and covering a geographical area of 750sq miles, making it one of the largest further education colleges in England. The strengthened organisation will play a leading role in developing the skilled workforce needed to support economic growth across the region and beyond. The merger follows a successful public consultation and an
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extensive period of planning and due diligence. It reflects a shared commitment to expanding opportunities for learners, responding to the evolving needs of employers and creating a financially strong, resilient and sustainable college for the future. Operating under the banner ‘Stronger Together’, the new organisation brings together the expertise and heritage of both colleges. By combining specialist curriculum expertise, established employer partnerships and strong industry links, the College is well placed to deliver the skills, training and innovation needed to support learners, businesses and local communities. Working in partnership with more than 1,500 employers across local, regional and national networks, the College will play an even greater role in developing the talent pipeline, addressing skills gaps and supporting economic growth.
Learners are expected to benefit from broader curriculum choice, enhanced progression pathways, continued investment in industry- standard facilities and technology, and even stronger links with employers and industry partners.
September 2026
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