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Construction group BAM, the company behind the and has been awarded the contract to build a £9 million university technical college in Sandwell.

The contractor will deliver the Health Futures UTC in on behalf of sponsors including the University of Wolverhampton, and the Co-operative Pharmacy.

The four-storey, 58,017 sq ft building will be able accommodate 600 pupils aged 14 to 19 and will specialise in preparing pupils for a career in health science.

BAM will also create labs, a visualisation suite and a room which will act as a hospital teaching ward where pupils can practice in realistic settings.

A multi-use games area will be created on the building's roof to make the best use of the tight town centre site while a tenth of the building's energy will come from renewables, with photovoltaic cells used for solar power.

Professor Linda Lang, dean of the faculty of education, health and wellbeing and UTC project chair, said: "The UTC will be among the first in the country to focus on the health sector and we're very proud to be working together with so many partners from front-line health services to deliver what will be an innovative curriculum.

"We are delighted work has now started on what will be a fantastic building with state-of-the-art facilities for students and we look forward to working with BAM on the project."

BAM construction director David Ellis said: "We are delighted to be delivering this important facility for Sandwell.