Lowestoft Energy and Engineering Skills Centre appoints Morgan Sindall Construction

The project to build a new “state-of-the-art” Energy and Engineering Skills Centre of Excellence, on East Coast College’s Lowestoft campus, is entering its next exciting phase following the appointment of Morgan Sindall Construction as main contractor after the final contract sum was agreed by the College Corporation.

Construction work on the new building is expected to start in October, with a target completion date of autumn 2019 in time for the next large intake of apprentices in the energy, maritime and engineering sectors.

The £11.3m project, supported with £10m from New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership’s Local Growth Fund, will provide a regional centre of excellence with national and international specialisms that will support the development of higher level technical skills and professional expertise in the energy, engineering, marine and offshore industries. The Energy sector is a key priority for the region’s growth, and the College will play a significant part in providing appropriately trained and qualified employees to support this agenda.

Stuart Rimmer, Chief Executive and Principal of East Coast College said: “Over the last few months the design and construction team have been working hard to finalise the design of the Energy and Engineering Skills Centre, both internally and externally. The focus of the scheme is to support the region’s skills demands in the Energy, Maritime and Engineering sectors. The new facility will have enhanced functionality, delivering cutting-edge training and state-of-the-art equipment for the whole community to access. I am delighted that we are now ready to start building on site.”

Doug Field, chair of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “I’m delighted to see this project move on to the next stage. Our all-energy coastline has a vital role to play in delivering the clean growth the UK needs. But we can’t do that without a highly skilled workforce. This centre will provide those skills, allowing this fast-evolving sector to continue to grow and add value to our economy.”

The Energy and Engineering Skills Centre is part of East Coast College’s wider development of training facilities for the Energy and Engineering Sector. The College recently launched its Offshore Wind Centre, a Skills Deal project also supported by the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, at its Great Yarmouth campus. The new Centre of Excellence at Lowestoft Campus is expected to welcome its first cohorts in October 2019.