Major construction progress on Sheffield’s £10m Second UTC recognized

The construction of Sheffield’s second University Technical College has made signifcant progress.

The £10m UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park campus is due to open this September and will specialise in healthcare and sports sciences, and computing.

The four-storey facility on the Olympic Legacy Park on Attercliffe Common has seen the completion of foundations and drainage work, and more than half of the steel frame is now in place. Work will start on the concrete floor slabs next.

To recognize the construction progression, civic leaders, educationalists and employers attended a stone-laying ceremony on Thursday (Feb 4th).

Rt. Hon. Richard Caborn, Olympic Legacy Park Project Lead, and Councillor Julie Dore, Sheffield City Council Leader led the ceremony. Representatives from UTC Sheffield, The Sheffield College, Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and employers supporting the project, including Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, BirchenhallHowden and Sheffield City Trust Group, also attended.

Rt. Hon. Richard Caborn, Project Lead of Olympic Legacy Park, said: “The stone-laying ceremony celebrates an exciting milestone for the UTC and, indeed, for the whole Olympic Legacy Park. The UTC will play a pivotal role within the Olympic Legacy Park. It will provide young people with a well-rounded education and specific skills so that they can go forward, as the next generation, and develop ground-breaking innovations for health and wellbeing.”

Councillor Julie Dore, Sheffield City Council Leader, added: “Sheffield City Council is proud that the city’s first UTC has been such a resounding success and we are delighted to celebrate the second one getting off the ground, especially on the Olympic Legacy Park. This exciting new facility will invest in the required skills of the next generation, ensuing great prospects for our young people as well as supporting employers and regional growth.”

Nick Crew, Executive Principal, UTC Sheffield, als commented: “I want to say a massive ‘thank you’ to our key sponsors and supporters. The way that the UTC has been embraced in this city has been phenomenal, leading to an amazing second facility for Sheffield that will offer great careers for young people across the region in sectors that are growing.”

Jason Pink, BAM Construction Manager, said: “We’ve made an excellent start and construction is on track. We’ve formed strong and honest partnerships here and that is the secret of making buildings happen, and it’s one reason why BAM is the leading contractor of UTCs in the UK.”

The facility, which is being built by BAM Construction and designed by Bond Bryan Architects, will have capacity for 600 students aged 14 to 19 from across Sheffield City Region. More than 50 employers are supporting UTC Sheffield overall.

Paul Corcoran, Chief Executive of The Sheffield College, said: “It’s great to be involved in this ambitious new project. As the lead sponsor, we want to work with partners for the benefit of the city providing the next generation with strong career prospects and supporting regional business growth. We need more young people studying science and technology subjects such as healthcare, sports science and computing. Having access to outstanding facilities at the Olympic Legacy Park will play an important role in attracting more students to those disciplines.”

Employers supporting the second UTC include the Sheffield Eagles, Sheffield Sharks, Sheffield International Venues, Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, University of Sheffield, Goldfish Systems, Yoomee, Mundojumbo, The Better With Data Society, Home Office, Team Active, Birchenhall Howden, Scrapbook Development and Sero Consulting.

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