LSC Approve Capital Grant for Sheffield College of £19 Million
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“Money makes the world go round”, someone famously said.
“Money doesn”t make the world go round”, someone else famously said. “Don”t be so stupid: everybody knows that the earth rotates because of the conservation of angular momentum that exists from the solar nebula from where it was formed”, a physicist probably said. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is keen to continue this conservation of financial momentum by approving Sheffield College’s capital bid of £19 million in the redevelopment of Castle College. Enough money to spin anything around, you might argue.
Building a Future
“The redevelopment and transformation of the Castle College has become a reality, which is really great news for our students and for employers in the region too”, enthuses Julia Byrne, Director of Castle College. The ambitious plans oversee the reconstruction of the College into the region’s first fully-fledged vocational centre. Despite a name steeped in archaic regalia, the proposed new building will embrace modern technologies in energy conservation including solar panels and wind turbines intended to provide a third of its electricity supply.
The approval of this large-scale redevelopment has attracted attention from the higher echelons of authority. Speaking on the plans, Richard Caborn MP said: “I have seen the plans for the new Castle College campus which are both impressive and inspiring. The new facility will become the very first, purpose built vocational college in the city and will play a major role in preparing people for employment in the city for generations to come.”
Taking Advances Seriously
This investment in Sheffield is something the LSC take very seriously, as Emer Clarke, Director for the LSC in South Yorkshire, explains: “The LSC is delighted to be supporting this major investment in Castle College. It is a great boost, not only for the City of Sheffield, but for the whole of South Yorkshire and will benefit learners and employers alike. The LSC will continue to work in partnership with the further education sector in providing world-class learning in world class buildings.”
The total cost in developing this world-class building tops £36.6 million; the plans are in an advanced stage, with the first phase of construction scheduled in the early half of 2007. “The new facilities will greatly enhance the work related learning element of all our programmes of study as we continue to work closely with employers to improve our courses and make them vocationally relevant,” explained Julia.
“Employability is at the heart of every thing we do at the Castle College.”
Vijay Pattni
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