New £8.8m technology centre to be built at Mansfield's West Notts College

The Future Tech Skills and Knowledge Exchange will be a new teaching and innovation space at the Chesterfield Road campus of West Nottinghamshire College.

The centre aims to address high-value employment opportunities in priority sectors and support businesses to adopt new technologies.

This state-of-the-art education facility, due to open in autumn 2024, will deliver qualifications at level three and above, with a strong focus on innovation and STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects.

Incorporating facilities to support construction, engineering and digital technologies, the campus will offer local people the opportunity to meet future labour market needs, plug skills gaps, and, ultimately, help to create well-paid jobs in Mansfield and the wider district.

Funding for the facility was made possible thanks to an allocation of £4.3m from the council’s Towns Fund pot, £3.827m from the Education and Skills Funding Agency as part of the second phase of its Further Education Capital Transformation Fund, and £734,000 from the college and Nottingham Trent University.

Coun Stuart Richardson (Lab), portfolio holder for regeneration and growth, said: “I am thrilled to see the planning committee approve these proposals so we can kick-start the project and get a spade in the ground to deliver this skills hub for our next generation.

“We now have two of our Towns Fund projects progressing at pace, the Warsop Health Hub and now the skills hub.

"Although these processes take time, coupled with inflation and soaring construction costs, we are doing what we can to make these projects happen to give residents and future generations a Mansfield they can be proud of.”

The new centre will provide 1,343sqm of high-quality teaching space over two floors and be a focal delivery point for T Levels – new qualifications developed in collaboration with employers – being introduced by the college.

Andrew Cropley, principal and chief executive of West Nottinghamshire College, added: “I’m delighted we’ve been given approval to start work on this flagship project for Mansfield.

“It is important for our local economy that businesses can embrace new technologies so they can become more competitive and have confidence there is a pipeline of skilled people to support them.

“Preparing students for rewarding careers in emerging industries and further strengthening our partnerships with employers will create the future-facing and well-paid jobs that are so crucial to the area’s prosperity.

“This building is another symbol of the potential that Mansfield now has, with a world-class university fully invested in our future.

On-site works are expected to begin in the next few weeks.

They will include demolishing the college’s unused former visual art and design building – once the Mansfield School of Art – although parts of the portico will be retained to create an entrance to the new centre to preserve its historical significance.

The rear extension to the Ashfield House building will also be demolished.

However, the original early 19th century building will be retained, forming a visual link between the area’s past and present.