PLANS SUBMITTED FOR PIONEERING T LEVEL CENTRE

Plans for a £2.3million state-of-the-art T Level facility have been submitted to Charnwood Borough Council by a local team of specialists for Loughborough College.

The project team - which includes project manager Thornton Firkin, architects Bond Bryan, M&E consultancy Couch Perry Wilkes (CPW) and structural engineer ABA Consulting - has worked collaboratively with Loughborough College to develop a new contemporary and visually appealing two storey building that will include teaching, training, office, and associated space.

The facility will be located on the college campus, opposite the Radmoor Centre, and has been designed to provide a range of flexible teaching and specialist spaces to meet the needs of the T Level qualifications. The course, equivalent to A Levels, was introduced by the government last year and offers students a mix of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience.

, principal and CEO at Loughborough College, said: “We are delighted to be in a position to submit plans for this brilliant new facility.

“Our ambition is to provide a contemporary, state-of-the-art learning environment which will enhance the career aspirations of people in the community we serve and also create an exciting and modern gateway to our campus from Epinal Way.

“T Levels are an exciting addition to our provision, which will boost the future prospects of our learners, meet the skills needed by employers, and support the local and regional economies in bouncing back from the impact of Covid.”

Bond Bryan director, Matthew Hutton, explained: “This is a real testament to the team’s efforts to date - and we now look forward to seeing this unique facility come to fruition. The design aims to create a high-quality and adaptable solution that also creates an architecturally-distinctive addition to the college; we believe that the experience of being a student should be central to defining the learning experience of the future.”

The development needed to maximise space efficiency to support the planned health, digital, construction, and education T Level pathways, as well as future proof the building for potential extension and expansion.

Ash Cowdrey, director at CPW, said: “At CPW we are passionate about training the next generation, so to work on a local project where students are given real hands-on experience within a wide range of industries – including construction – and employers are encouraged to get involved is fantastic.”

The project received funding of £2.3m to complete the facility and is supported by the Department for Education. The proposed new building will also create a prominent, contemporary ‘gateway’ to the college’s campus on Epinal Way.

T Levels are technical alternatives to A Levels, combining classroom theory, practical learning, and an industry placement of at least 45 days where students will build the knowledge and skills they need in a workplace environment and to meet the needs of employers.

For further information about Loughborough College please visit www.loucoll.ac.uk and to find out more about CPW, head over to www.cpwp.com or follow @CpwEastMids on Twitter.