A BUNGALOW that once housed a college caretaker has been demolished to make way for a £4m education hub.

Work is now underway at Abingdon & Witney College for its Advanced Skills Centre, which promises to catalyse students' passion for engineering and science in a state-of-the-art building.

The Government-funded facility will champion science, technology, engineering and maths at the college's Abingdon campus, help to plug a national skills shortage in STEM subjects and potentially produce 'world class' experts.

Michael Chiyasa, head of estates and capital development at the college in Wootton Road, said: "Everyone here is very excited that work on the centre is underway. Investment into the college facilities over the past few years has seen our campuses grow tremendously, and we can now offer our students more course and career options than ever before.

"What was initially a plan to address the local skill shortages in high priority sectors – engineering, technology, IT – has now transformed into a building project that has been fully-designed and is ready to go."

He added he was looking forward to 'watching this important project come to life'.

The further education college won permission for the wider redevelopment scheme in 2014 and has since completed several phases including refurbishment of two existing buildings and a new building for learning difficulties and disabilities courses.

It submitted more details about the Advanced Skills Centre last year, which were approved by Vale of White Horse District Council in August.

The multi-million pound centre was funded by a Government grant announced in 2014, as part of a pot of cash awarded to Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

In papers released at the time about the deal, the Government said: "[It will] help develop a 'world class' Oxfordshire skills and learning eco-system that is better able to support the local growth ambition, world class sectors and communities.

"The centre will address local, regional and national skills shortages in STEM subject areas by supplying skilled technicians at Harwell Oxford and elsewhere in Oxfordshire; and deploying the unique expertise and facilities available at and around Harwell Oxford as a learning resource for the rest of the UK, Europe and the world."

The new building will replace an unused bungalow formerly used by the caretaker, and will include a technology laboratory, computer suite, business lounge and classroom space.

Construction is due to be complete by November ahead of the centre's planned opening at the beginning of January next year.