Dudley College principal: We bring excellence to the borough
The principal of a Black Country college says it is at the forefront of bringing excellence to the borough as he reviews ambitious plans for the future.
Dudley College boss Lowell Williams was speaking as the college sponsors a new £60 million multi-academy trust and as its £12m Advance II construction building nears completion.
The facility is set to be completed by June and has already secured 80 apprentices. It will be the first of its kind specialising in the latest construction techniques, technology and off-site fabrication.
Mr Williams said: "This is ground-breaking and innovating. We need to train people working in construction as if they are digital engineers.
"And this will be the first building in the country offering this on a large scale. It will be like something out of a sci-fi movie."
The new 37,000 sq ft building will include workshops, classrooms and support facilities around a four-storey building called The Hanger.
There will also be a digital centre and other facilities include a carbon-friendly technology centre.
Mr Williams said: "It will open in the new academic year and welcome a mix of learners and full-time students, alongside adult apprentices. It is a once in a generation project for the Black Country."
Dudley College will also be at the forefront of the Dudley Academies Trust ploughing about £500,000 into the trust to kick start the process.
The trust will bring together Castle High School, Hillcrest School and Community College, Holly Hall Academy and High Arcal School so that they can to share resources and expertise.
Mr Williams said: "We were directly approached by the schools and asked if we would consider a closer relationship to provide the best possible future for young people.
"We will be bringing national expertise on board for a high powered and experienced operation. It's one thing for these schools to be told to get better, but it's another to actually provide help and do it. There will be a sense of expectation on us and it will not come overnight, but still it is a real privilege for us to be part of this.
"We have been at the heart of the community for some time, but I think that it's just now that we are really pushing ourselves forward.
"The future is incredibly bright for us and we are at the forefront of bringing excellence across the borough," Mr Williams said.
