WORK is set to begin on a brand new state-of-the-art facility at the Blackbird Leys campus of City of Oxford College.

The £8m Centre for Technology, Innovation and Skills will be designed to help students develop skills in science, technology, engineering and maths at the centre in Cuddesdon Way.

Building work is set to start at the end of this month and will see existing facilities, including the Wren and Paxton building, refurbished alongside new structures.

Facilities on offer will include science labs, workshop space, a design space for rapid prototyping, 3D printers, materials testing tools and Computer Aided Design suites.

The centre is likely to support the creation of 60 new apprenticeship places and 60 full-time programme places in engineering and new technologies.

Curriculum director Peter Reynolds said staff were keenly anticipating the changes the new building would bring about.

He said: “It’s an amazing investment for the site. It was needed for some time. It’s really exciting for the staff in the whole college.

“It is all to develop and increase the capacity of level two and level three engineers in Oxfordshire, to supply the demand from businesses moving to the area and expanding.

“So far this has been a great project, which has received lots of support and advice from local businesses.”

Oxfordshire-based companies who have advised the project include Siemens UK, the BMW group and Beard Construction in Oxford.

The college will host its own School of Construction, catering for students from the age of 14, within the new site.

Mr Reynolds said: “It will be an amazing, beautiful building with a reception area. It will transform the view of the campus from the road.”

He added that a small increase in staff numbers would be needed to facilitate learning.

It will also increase the provision of part-time professional courses in the area to meet the skills needs of existing employees and employers.

Phil Waddup, group director of property and environment at Activate Learning, said: “We are delighted to be starting work on this exciting new development, which will provide much-needed training facilities for those preparing for careers in science, technology and engineering. These are recognised growth areas in the county.

“We are also pleased to be able to make such a significant investment in the Blackbird Leys campus, which will benefit the local community.”

Development work is expected to finish by spring 2016.