A new £4 million specialist centre for construction and engineering is being developed at Kendal College’s Milnthorpe Road Campus.
Part-funded by the Department of Education and built by John Turner Construction alongside 10 Architects, the state-of-the-art building will open to T Level students in September 2022.
T Levels are a new qualification, equivalent to 3 A-Levels, for students aged 16 to 19 who have finished their GCSEs. These two-year courses have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses to meet industry needs and prepare students for work or higher levels of study.
They include an in-depth industry placement for at least 315 hours (approximately 45 days). As such, students spend 80 per cent of their course in college and 20 per cent in a meaningful work placement, where they put their skills into action.
Kendal College launched T Level Construction (Building Services Engineering) and T Level Health in 2021.
Ian Reynolds, Chartered Construction Manager for EQUANS (the new name for ENGIE’s services and regeneration-led business), provides industry placements for T Level Construction students on their £15m extra care scheme in Oxenholme. Students have gained first-hand experience on a busy site, building 80 apartments and 24 bungalows.
Ian said: “We work with contractors who are passionate about supporting young people to develop the skills needed in the industry. Students gain experience in all areas of the build. They are given the opportunity to work with different trades, helping them to decide on their future career path and understand how a project comes together. Being on a real construction site and working with people with different backgrounds, ages and ethnicities helps develop their confidence and skills.”
Kendal College is also working closely with University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Trust and wider private care providers to support industry work placements in health.
Gayle Salt, Director of STEM, Care, Academic and Professional, said: “It is a really exciting time for the college, with the delivery of T Level qualifications and the brand new industry-ready facilities on campus. The T level study programmes provide theoretical and practical experiences, which reflect the knowledge, skills and professional behaviours required for the industry. They support a wide range of progression possibilities for students, whether that be employment, onto an apprenticeship, or to study at a higher level at university.”
T Levels will be available in Business, Education & Childcare and Engineering from 2022, alongside construction and health.
In separate developments, the college, which was ranked number one in the current FE Week league table, has recently installed new hybrid and electrical automotive workshops and hopes to open a newly refurbished animal rescue centre in September.
Kendal College Principal, Kelvin Nash said: “Kendal College is continuing with a series of exciting new projects which are being planned as part of our programme for modernising our estate and meeting our future growth. Projects such as the new T level building, the conversion of the Westmorland Centre and continued investment in our existing estate will create a college that increasingly meets the needs of industry and our learners.”
