The Newcastle College University Centre is set to invest a share of £6m into its higher education facilities, allowing for the creation of new hubs for many of its subject areas.
The funds come from the Office for Students (OfS) to create HE Hubs for construction, engineering, energy and digital technologies, and they will be designed in order to help the University Centre close the region's skill gaps at a higher technical level.
These new facilities will also allow the Centre to adapt to changing needs and new technology, ensuring that graduates are ready for the job market of today and any future changes.
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The first year of these developments will see the completion of Higher Education Hubs for Digital Technologies. The ground floor of Newcastle College’s Rye Hill campus will be converted to include digital learning labs and flexible teaching spaces.
After this, there will then be a significant rebuild as the other hubs will be refurbished and equipped with the latest technology. This will allow the University Centre provide students with the best facilities possible.
Jon Ridley, the Deputy Principal at Newcastle College said: "We are incredibly pleased to make this investment in the student experience. It’s our commitment to nurture the talent that will go on to work and innovate in the areas of strategic importance to the region.
"We are committed to giving individuals access to a high-quality learning experience in which they develop their skills to succeed and thrive in our region. We work closely with business making sure our graduates are work ready.
"At Newcastle College University Centre we believe that in order to be work-ready, students must practice and experiment using the latest available industry standard technology, kit and equipment, which is exactly what we are investing in.
"The works are now in full swing, with students already working with some new kit and our cyber security and immersive technology labs will be ready as part of phase one this summer."
