Truro College will start work over half-term on a new £1.7 million state-of-the-art redevelopment of its construction teaching spaces. 

Work will break ground next week, upgrading college spaces to increase capacity in response to a surge in demand from young people for construction courses.  

It will also future-proof facilities to meet the needs of local industry as identified by the college’s newly established Construction Advisory Panel, which draws upon the expert knowledge of Cornwall employers. 

The new industry-leading facilities will welcome full-time learners and apprentices from September 2024, with final completion set for March 2025. 

Funding has been secured to the tune of £1.2 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and a further £500,000 from the Department for Education’s (DfE) Local Skills Improvement Fund. 

Truro College has previously benefited from nearly £400,000 of investment from the DfE’s Strategic Development Fund allowing it to expand teaching space in construction in response to a surge in demand from young people wishing to embark on quality careers in the sector.   

Construction learners are already finding their futures thanks to links and recent visits to Truro’s Langarth Garden Village development a stone’s throw from the college, which is expected to offer 25 years of work for construction professionals with the build of up to 3,500 new homes. 

Martin Tucker, principal at Truro and Penwith College, said: “This project is further evidence of our commitment to future-focused training as we support students to constantly look, reach and go further.  

“The investment not only provides our students and industry expert teaching teams with cutting-edge facilities, but will ensure Cornwall’s construction industry has access to industry-ready skills for many years to come.”