A run-down former print works on a university campus in Birmingham is set to be transformed into a new hub aimed at addressing the skills shortage in the construction industry.
University College Birmingham (UCB) has outlined plans to completely overhaul the Art Deco James Cond building, in Charlotte Street, to create the new £10 million 'Engineering and Sustainable Construction Centre'.
The new centre will specialise in courses that support the region's growth areas including sustainable construction methods, manufacturing technologies, renewable energy, robotics and cyber and digital skills.
UCB has also formed a new partnership with the University of Warwick to offer students the chance to progress from its own technical courses onto degree and masters programmes at Warwick.
Plans have already been lodged with the city council for the new centre, with work set to start in the middle of next year subject to consent in time for the 2023/24 academic year although new construction courses will commence next September in an alternative building.
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Tilbury Douglas Construction is the university's development partner on the scheme.
This latest project follows UCB's refurbishment of nearby Camden House which is due for completion next summer and which will create a bespoke STEM education and training facility.
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In recent years, UCB has also built the new McIntyre House and Moss House buildings next door to James Cond as part of an overall £130 million investment into its campus.
Michael Harkin, vice-chancellor and principal at UCB, said: "The recent COP26 climate change conference included high emphasis on low-carbon, sustainable buildings with highly ecological specifications and there is great need of new talent in this field, with hundreds of thousands of new workers expected to be required in the next few years.
"Our exciting, new courses are centred around sustainable construction and design, plus developing advanced skills in engineering and construction and are very different to those offered by other local providers.
"First and foremost, it is firmly about supporting young people and the long-term unemployed to gain industry relevant skills and support them into work, further study and to gain critical skills to access high value jobs that meet local and regional needs."
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University of Warwick vice-chancellor Stuart Croft added: "We are incredibly excited about this new partnership. Our institutions are jointly committed to unlocking talent potential within the West Midlands.
"This new centre will elevate skills, training and employment opportunities for learners of all ages while also acting as a catalyst for further innovation and growth in the region's key sectors.
"This investment in state-of-the-art facilities and skills development will position the centre and its courses at the forefront of not only skills delivery and growth nationally and will also be an exemplar of the inclusive learning pathways that can be developed through close collaboration between higher and further education."