Plans are underway for a £3.5 million Technology and Skills Centre at Bishop Burton College.
This landmark building will house new agricultural engineering, construction, mechanisation and technology facilities. It is envisaged that the Centre will contain the latest technology in precision farming, including global positioning systems, CAN bus electronics and refrigeration engineering.
College Principal, Jeanette Dawson, OBE, is excited about the learning opportunities offered by the innovative design. She said,
“The Centre will allow for theoretical learning within a workshop environment. You will literally be able to drive a combine harvester into the classroom.
“It will reflect the dramatic progress that has been made over recent years in these study areas to encompass innovation, renewables, sustainability and energy and will enable the College to meet the needs of students, employers and the industries that our existing curriculum supports.”
The Centre will be completed ready for courses starting in September 2014 and is part-funded by the Skills Funding Agency. The majority investment reflects Bishop Burton College’s commitment to
developing the region’s biorenewables economy and increased efficiency and sustainability in agriculture.
Mrs. Dawson is also optimistic about the potential job opportunities for students, saying,
“The facility will develop the construction and engineering workforce of the future, complementing the Humber LEP’s ‘Energy Estuary’ campaign and renewable energy strategy for the region.”
The Centre has been designed to achieve a BREEAM Rating of ‘excellent’, using sustainable design criteria. Ken Allen, Director of CAD Associates, Architectural Consultants, is delighted to be involved in the design and construction of this building. He said,
“We are very pleased to act on behalf of the College for this new building, which will provide up-to-date facilities within a building sympathetic to its surroundings. It is another part of the Master Plan which has transformed the campus over the last six years into a modern, academic environment”.
