Hone-All director Andrea Rodney was one of the key stakeholders in attendance as construction engineering students tightened the last bolt on the steel frame for Central Bedfordshire College’s new skills and technology centre.
Currently being built in Chartmoor Road in Leighton Buzzard, the £2.5m joint venture between Central Bedfordshire College and SEMLEP will house professionally equipped workshops for the engineering, construction, motor vehicle and aerospace industries.
“It was great to have our students involved in this event today as they are the engineers and technicians of the future who will benefit from this high-tech centre where they will gain advanced technical skills,” said Principal Ali Hadawi CBE.
He added: “The close involvement from industry means our students will gain industry relevant skills that they can take forward to university or employment in any number of companies in the local area.”
It is set for completion in July with the first students using the facility in September, this ceremony to tighten the final bolt marked a key milestone in the construction of the site.
As part of the Hone-All participation, Andrea Rodney has been sitting on the advisory panel to develop and decide upon the layout, structure and equipment required to best support students for life in industry and matching it with the demands of local employers.
She said: "We already have an apprentice at the college who has just passed his Level 3 engineering qualification. It is vital for industry to play a pivotal role with technical colleges and universities to develop the engineers of tomorrow. It is the input from businesses like Hone-All that will help to bridge the skills gap between academia and industry by inputting our industrial expertise and guidance to ensure course material is relevant to the needs of manufacturers."
Applications are open for courses starting in September 2017, you can apply by visiting the Central Bedfordshire College website.