Sheffield College’s £6.8m Olive Grove Campus officially opens

The new £6.8m Sheffield College building, which will train engineering and manufacturing skills, has now been officially opened.

Sheffield Heeley MP Louise Haigh and several employers attended the opening of The Sheffield College’s Olive Grove campus, Olive Grove Road, on Friday November 27th.

The facilities have been built by Clugston Construction and designed by Race Cottam Architects.

Louise Haigh, Sheffield Heeley MP, said: “‘The Sheffield College’s investment in this facility is both desperately needed and very welcome in Sheffield - a city with a proud history of manufacturing and engineering and well placed to serve the industries of the future.

“It is also testament to the vital place for further and adult education both in providing vocational education to an exceptionally high standard and in upskilling our workforce. This investment is particularly well timed to service a known skills gap in the sector, and it is a great honour to host it in my constituency.”

Paul Corcoran, chief executive, The Sheffield College, added: “The Sheffield College is investing in the latest high tech industry standard facilities that will train young people in the skills they need to get jobs and go on to university level courses, and which will support employers and boost regional growth.”

The £6.8m Sheffield College Olive Grove campus, Olive Grove Road, comprises a teaching block with the latest cutting edge technical classrooms, and workshops and solar panels on the roof.

The four-storey new building, which adds more than 2,600 sq ms of new space, is annexed to part of the former campus. The building is marked by a steel sail design and a contemporary atrium which contains a partially glazed flexible pod, to provide a communal break-out area for students.

Around £450k of new equipment for electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, motor vehicle, plumbing, heating and ventilation, and sustainable construction has been installed which has enabled the scheme to achieve a BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’.

The Olive Grove campus is one of two new buildings that have opened to Sheffield College students this term. An £8.8 million new Centre for Creative Industries at The Sheffield College’s Hillsborough campus, Livesey Street, was officially launched last month.

The upgrade to the College’s accommodation reflects a longer term plan to ensure that all students train in the latest high quality industry standard facilities to boost their skills.

Both new build projects have received a total of £10m capital funding from the Skills Funding Agency - money specifically ring-fenced for building projects - approved in October 2013.

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