Hartlepool Town Deal project sees major upgrade to Hartlepool College civil engineering training facility

Work on a major upgrade of college premises as part of a skills academy is nearing completion.
By Mail reporter
Published 4th Mar 2024, 15:53 BST
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The Exeter Street annexe of Hartlepool College of Further Education is being improved to offer an everything-under-one-roof approach for civil engineering students.

The Civil Engineering Skills Academy, a partnership between the college and Seymour Civil Engineering, is one of five Hartlepool Town Deal projects benefiting from £25m of Government funding following a bid by Hartlepool Borough Council.

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The college annexe offers 1,500 square metres of state-of-the-art fabrication and welding training facilities, including four workshops, 39 welding booths, a “clean lab” for weld testing and five classrooms.

Skills Academy partners look around the soon to be finished Exeter Street annexe which forms part of Hartlepool's new Civil Engineering Skills Academy.(Left to right) Mike Young (leader of Hartlepool Borough Council), Michelle Roberts (Hartlepool College of Further Education) Maxine Craig (Town Deal Board Vice Chair) Darren Hankey (Chairman of Town Deal Board) Paul Taylor ( hartlepool Borough Council) and Jonathan Gilroy (department for levelling up, Housing and Communities) before they start a tour of the new skills academy at the Hartlepool College of Further Education. Picture by Frank ReidSkills Academy partners look around the soon to be finished Exeter Street annexe which forms part of Hartlepool's new Civil Engineering Skills Academy.(Left to right) Mike Young (leader of Hartlepool Borough Council), Michelle Roberts (Hartlepool College of Further Education) Maxine Craig (Town Deal Board Vice Chair) Darren Hankey (Chairman of Town Deal Board) Paul Taylor ( hartlepool Borough Council) and Jonathan Gilroy (department for levelling up, Housing and Communities) before they start a tour of the new skills academy at the Hartlepool College of Further Education. Picture by Frank Reid
Skills Academy partners look around the soon to be finished Exeter Street annexe which forms part of Hartlepool's new Civil Engineering Skills Academy.(Left to right) Mike Young (leader of Hartlepool Borough Council), Michelle Roberts (Hartlepool College of Further Education) Maxine Craig (Town Deal Board Vice Chair) Darren Hankey (Chairman of Town Deal Board) Paul Taylor ( hartlepool Borough Council) and Jonathan Gilroy (department for levelling up, Housing and Communities) before they start a tour of the new skills academy at the Hartlepool College of Further Education. Picture by Frank Reid

It means that students will no longer have to switch to the main college site for elements of their training, allowing them to spend more time learning.

It will also see an additional 70 students enrol at the site, with 56 expected to gain qualifications over the next year.

Darren Hankey, Principal of Hartlepool College of Further Education and Chair of the Hartlepool Town Deal Board, said the investment will ensure the 50-year-old annexe will continue to train fabricators, welders and platers who now work all around the world for many years to come.

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Councillor Mike Young, Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, added: “The upgraded Exeter Street annexe is so impressive – the attention to detail is amazing and the facilities are state-of-the-art.

"I’d like to congratulate everyone who has played a part in bringing this project to fruition.”

The Civil Engineering Skills Academy also has premises in Brenda Road where work is underway to create a further 5,000 square metres of training and education facilities for over 250 new learners.

Related topics:Mike Young