Work begins on Leeds City Region’s first UTC
WORK has begun on the University Technical College Leeds, which is due to open in September 2016.
Located on Hunslet Road, the site will offer engineering and advanced manufacturing teaching and training, the first in the Leeds City Region.
Main contractor BAM Construction has begun work on the 55,972 sq ft education hub, sponsored by The University of Leeds, major manufacturers including Agfa Graphics, Siemens and Unilever and business organisations such as the EEF and Leeds Chamber of Commerce.
The UTC will be located in the west wing of the Braime Pressings factory, close to Leeds City College Printworks campus, Leeds College of Building and the new Ruth Gorse Academy.
Mark Kennedy, principal designate for the new UTC, said: “This is a major milestone for the UTC and moves us a significant step closer to our opening in September 2016.
“The UTC is sited in a historic Grade II listed engineering building adjacent to a Braime Pressings, a company with a strong reputation for manufacturing excellence. The location of the UTC combined with our wider relationship with industry and commerce puts us in the driving seat when it comes to helping young people develop the advanced technical skills needed by UK industry.
Phil Woodhead, site manager for BAM Construction, said: “This project strengthens the industrial heritage of Leeds and it is very exciting to be part of the team bringing the first UTC to the Leeds region. We are now on site and everything is in place to deliver a fully operational college in September 2016”.
A spokesperson for architects Race Cottam Associates added: “This is a fantastic building and one that will be of enormous benefit to students in Leeds looking towards a career in the engineering and manufacturing sector.
“The site, a Grade II-listed building, is perfect for the college and a good example of how older, underused industrial buildings can be re-imagined for alternative uses and preserved for generations to come.”
The college will be open to students aged between 14 and 18, studying core academic subjects as well as training in engineering and advanced manufacturing.
