A new multimillion-pound business school in Wiltshire has officially opened.
Former Dragons' Den star Nick Jenkins took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the launch of Wiltshire College and University Centre’s new Wiltshire Business School.
The Moonpig founder said school, at the college's Lackham campus near Chippenham, would be an "asset" to the county and "great for local businesses".
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“I'm very impressed with the facilities here and I think it's fantastic that it is in Wiltshire,” said Mr Jenkins. “I want to be employing people who have had the kind of training on offer here.”
Wiltshire Business School is based in the Georgian Grade II listed building Lackham House, which is part of a £2.2m development at the college’s Lackham campus.
As well as traditional classrooms, the school has meeting rooms fitted with wireless digital screens; laptop docking stations; video conferencing equipment; breakout areas with collaborative desk set-ups; and work pods resembling co-working spaces. There is also an oak-panelled boardroom in what was once the house’s billiard room.
Principal and chief executive Iain Hatt said Wiltshire Business School would teach commercial skills in a setting that "looks and feels like 21st century offices".
“We’ve created high-quality training facilities that reflect businesses today, so students can learn in a modern business environment,” he said.
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“We will deliver the core curriculum requirements to our students in terms of the technical skills they need but alongside that we’ll develop the habits and behaviours that will prepare them for work.”
Mr Hatt said the business school was built in response to the introduction of T Levels, a new qualification designed with employers that combines learning at the college with up to 315 hours of real-world experience in industry. He added that it would also help address the digital skills gap identified in the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Skills Plan.
At present students are studying T Level Business: Management and Administration at the business school but Mr Hatt expects the number of students to grow over the next two years as other courses are introduced.
“We’ve had excellent feedback from the employers who’ve been in to see it and the students love it,” he said. “Since 1946 when it opened its doors as the Wiltshire Farm Institute, Lackham has always been at the cutting edge of education and with Wiltshire Business School we are future proofing our teaching for the next generation.”
The college is planning to open up the school to businesses for part-time courses, including HR, accountancy and leadership.
“There will be a stream of professional qualifications for individuals already working who want to upskill and progress,” added Mr Hatt. “It could be someone in any industry who needs additional skills – and that is attractive employers.”