STUDENTS at Abingdon and Witney college are gearing up for a move into a
state-of-the-art new home. Work has started on the construction of a £741,000 purpose-built teaching block on the Abingdon campus which will house pupils on the Advanced Engineering and Motor Vehicle Skills course.
The 4,300 sq ft purpose-built facility on Wootton Road will enable students to gain real experience of how a garage operates with vehicle work bays and an MoT station.
Other features will include a computer-aided engineering and IT classroom, while the single-storey building itself will be environmentally friendly with solar panels on the roof.
Michael Chiyasa, head of Environment Services at Abingdon and Witney College, added: “This is an exciting project which will enhance our facilities to keep in step with the high-quality of teaching and learning at the college.”
Work on the new block which is on the east side of the college campus is being carried out by construction firm Stepnell, which has offices in Wantage.
Stepnell managing director Mark Wakeford said: “This new building will provide students and staff with modern, industry-standard facilities.”
Abingdon and Witney College is located at three main sites in Abingdon, Witney and Common Leys Farm near Hailey.
A centre at Milton Park, near Didcot, provides training solutions for businesses including a growing apprenticeships programme.
Another facility at Avenue One in Witney, provides industry-specific training in construction skills and associated trades.
In the Government’s most recent Framework for Excellence results the college was placed first in Oxfordshire, with the highest percentage of students progressing into employment and learning after completing their course.