£3m engineering and technology centre nears completion in Leicester
Scheduled for completion in November, the renovation of the Abby Park campus will provide students with better learning spaces for engineering T-levels and other engineering qualifications.
Stepnell is overseeing the construction, following a design by Moss Architecture Interiors.
This design team includes surveyors from MDA, alongside mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineers from Steven Hunt Associates Ltd, and structural engineers from Price & Myers.
The project at Leicester College is backed by over £1m in funding from the Department for Education’s T-level capital grant.
Its goal is to introduce engineering T Level qualifications and address the growing demand for higher technical skills locally and nationally, supporting the expected 1.2% growth in engineering and electronic engineering jobs in Leicestershire and Rutland by 2030.
The renovation involves setting up and improving industry-standard laboratories for teaching various engineering disciplines, such as electrical and electronic engineering, pneumatic and hydraulics, programmable logic controllers and robotics.
Stepnell is also building a new mechanical engineering workshop with standard lathes and milling machines and adding an extra area for hands-on projects, welding booths, and a state-of-the-art grinding room to enhance the practical learning experience.
Tom Sewell, regional director at Stepnell, said: “With a consistent pipeline of projects within the education sector, this is the third project we have undertaken for Leicester College. We have a key focus to continue developing lasting public sector client relations. We understand the college’s need to provide the best learning experience in the long term while minimising the disruption to the teaching experience during the build, and we’re progressing well ahead of completion in November.
“With a strong familiarity within our construction team of the educational needs for aspiring engineers, it’s a highly rewarding project to help create the ideal learning space to educate future talent.”
