Hull construction company Hobson & Porter has started work on a £12m Lincolnshire college campus.
The contractor secured the deal to build Skegness Learning Campus in a scheme backed by a £14 Government-funded Connected Coast Town Deal. Once complete in 2025, the college will offer a range of vocational education courses in key sectors such as construction, engineering, hospitality, tourism, and digital skills training.
The campus will be set at the heart of the Skegness Gateway initiative, which includes 1,000 new homes, around 441,000 sq ft of commercial premises, tourist accommodation, a crematorium, a primary school, a local retail centre with shops, pubs, and eateries, as well as 44,000 sq ft of storage facilities. The contract win for Hobson & Porter follows the completion of a £5.5m technical, engineering and construction facility at York College, which was delivered on time and within budget.
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Joe Booth from Hobson & Porter said: “The Skegness Learning Campus adds to our growing portfolio of further education projects in recent years, on the back of us delivering successful large-scale projects for both York College and Bishop Burton College at its campuses in both Lincoln and Beverley.
“This latest contract win also builds on our expertise in the education sector and as well as building and refurbishing schools and colleges across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, we’re using these opportunities to create a sustainable workforce for the construction industry by educating, developing and upskilling the next generation through our Foundations scheme.
“The initiative, which was born after we completed work on a construction hub at Bishop Burton College, helps to enrich career opportunities in the industry, and whilst working on that project and the one at York College, we were able to give students live on-site experience, which is as essential part of their T Level qualifications. We hope to follow a similar model during the construction programme at Skegness Learning Campus.”
Adrian Clarke, group vice principal for corporate services at the TEC Partnership, said: “I am thrilled that construction is underway on our new Skegness Learning Campus. It is exciting to witness our designs and plans come to fruition. The new learning campus will introduce a broad curriculum and fresh opportunities for the community of Skegness.”
Chris Baron, chair of Connected Coast, said: “The new, state of the art Skegness learning campus is set to be an economic game changer for the area. Not only is it our flagship Town Deal project in Skegness, it is also the single largest Towns Fund project in Lincolnshire.
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“The new campus is also part of the Skegness Gateway and will be a catalyst for change in the area, providing an inspirational space where local people can get the skills, knowledge, and training they need to access the employment opportunities they want. Consultation is also being carried out with local employers and learning providers to ensure the training offered meets the needs of the local economy now and in the future.
“It is great to see work now under way on this fantastic facility and I forward to seeing the difference the campus will make within the community and for local people in the years to come.”