Work under way on new £10m health college in West Bromwich
WORK is officially under way on a new £10m health college in West Bromwich. BAM Construction is developing the new Health Futures UTC for a variety of stakeholders.
The Health Futures UTC (University Technical College) is being sponsored by the University of Wolverhampton in conjunction with 23 partners including all NHS Trusts in the Black Country and Birmingham. The lead employer is West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.
The new UTC, on the former Sandwell College site in High Street, will feature science laboratories, simulation and skills units, a mock hospital ward, a visualisation centre, IT suites, class and seminar rooms, café and a rooftop games area and gym. It is due to receive its first intake of students next September.
Spread across four storeys, it will have capacity for up to 600 students.
Aimed at 14-19 year-olds it will have a strong focus on science and healthcare but cover a range of traditional subjects at GSCE and A-Level as well as practical and technical qualifications with a view to providing skills for a career in the NHS public health or health science and pharmaceutical industries.
A tenth of the building’s energy will come from renewables, with photovoltaic cells used for solar power.
The University of Wolverhampton, together with the various employers will play a joint role in promoting access to cutting-edge scientific techniques. A key feature will be close links with employers and involvement of patients, service users and carers in the planning, development and delivery of the curriculum.
The 5,390 sq m building is also another significant investment in improving educational facilities in Sandwell. It follows the recent development of the new Sandwell College in the nearby town centre and the decision to use the former Public arts centre as a new sixth form college.
BAM construction director David Ellis said: “Our success in securing opportunities working with academies, free schools and university technical colleges in recent years shows BAM is trusted to create high quality education facilities during changing times.
“We will work hard to ensure this project delivers benefits for pupils, teachers, local businesses and the wider community and environment.”
The UTC has also announced the appointment of Robert Fell as its Principal Designate. Fell is currently the Principal of the Landau Forte Academy QEMS in Tamworth. During the last three years he has taken the school out of Special Measures and transformed it to a ‘Good’ status in all OFSTED categories.
A graduate of mathematics at the University of Warwick in 1992, Fell (left) completed a PGCE before starting his teaching career in 1993 as a secondary teacher of mathematics in Acton, London.
He has subsequently held successful teaching posts in a range of West Midland schools as he progressed into senior leadership roles.
He said: “The UTC is being created to provide an outstanding academic education to young people while also giving them a unique insight into the health and health science sector.
“We are partnered with a huge range of employers who will lend their expertise, facilities and time to make sure our students are best placed to be their future employees. This, allied with our state of the art facilities, will make the Health Futures UTC an essential choice for any young person interested in a career in this high skill, high demand and high employment sector of the economy.”
Parents and prospective students will have the chance to meet him and find out more about the UTC at an open event being held at West Bromwich Town Hall in High Street between 6pm and 8pm on Monday October 6.
