£3.7m grant will help college with expansion project
RON DEARING FUNDING BOOST
A CITY centre technical college has been awarded a £3.7m grant to help fund a major expansion scheme.
Under the move, the Ron Dearing University Technical College (UTC) will take over the neighbouring former Central Fire Station to create a new hi-tech centre for sustainability.
It aims to focus on decarbonisation and renewables and will educate the next generation looking to play their part in the region’s growing cluster of green energy industries.
The old building in Worship Street has been derelict since Humberside Fire and Rescue Service moved to a new purpose-built station in Pearson Street off Ferensway in 2017.
The employer-led college will also reconfigure space within its existing building in Kingston Square as part of the development.
With support now confirmed from a government-backed post-16 fund, the expansion will enable an additional 200 students to study Level 3 qualifications in engineering, creative and digital, increasing the college’s overall capacity to 800.
Ron Dearing UTC principal Sarah Pashley said: “This is great news for the region and its young people. Having received approval for our application for funding, we can now focus on turning our plans into reality.
“We are really excited by this opportunity to offer more students the chance to benefit from our unique employer-led education model and increase the pipeline of talent we provide to local employers.
“We are extremely concerned about climate change and want to play our part in supporting the Humber’s contribution to meeting the UK’S net zero target.
“As jobs in the green energy sector grow rapidly, our expansion will ensure significantly more local young people are well placed to take advantage of these opportunities.
“Our vision is for our centre for sustainability to be a ‘smart building’ that is used as a teaching resource for our students and a model of outstanding practice in terms of green renovation projects.
“I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to our amazing employer partners. Without their outstanding support this project would not be possible. The backing we have received from Hull City Council has also been crucial, as the council is leasing the former fire station building to us on a long-term peppercorn rent.”
The new centre is expected to open in September and will feature renewables workshops as well as digital studios equipped with Computer-aided Design (CAD), augmented reality and virtual reality software as well as 3D printers.
Additional sixth form independent study space will be incorporated into the centre and the school’s existing Ørsted Library.
In addition, a number of new science labs will be developed within the school’s current building to broaden the highly successful science curriculum to include digital health.
Richard Martin, customer experience director at Arco and Ron Dearing UTC’S chair of governors, said: “Matching our curriculum with the needs of the region’s employers is what we do best at Ron Dearing.
“This funding allows Sarah and her team to give our students the relevant skills they need to support the region’s ambitious growth plans in the renewables and sustainability sector, as well as expanding our digital capabilities.”
The council acquired the building as part of a deal which saw the fire service move to its new base in Pearson Street.
It had previously been earmarked for a potential 2017 City of Culture legacy project with an idea of converting it into a contemporary dance studio.